Living Like A Star
by Secrets of the Dark
Summary: The Cullens' lives are shattered when a mysterious extremely powerful hybrid joins their family. She had multiple abilities and extremely powerful. But Edward is in love with her. Will she accept or annihilate?
1. Hybird

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 1: Hybrid

EPOV

I hated school. I supposed the one way to truly repent my sins was to spend a significant part of everyday boring my head off. The teachers never had anything new—after all, what could possibly seem new to a being that had been living for almost a hundred years and a decade? Nothing at all. But still, to keep up the annoying human façade, my brothers, sisters and I had to spend a large part of every single day in the so-boring-its-incredible dreary building known as school.

Forks High School was even worse than the hundred other institutions I'd been to in my…not lifetime, my existence. The incredibly tiny student body consisted of so little humans I doubted it had even four hundred people.

Everyone knew everyone else. New students were rare to the point of non-existence.

Worse, everyone was pumping thick rivers of mouthwatering, deliciously tempting blood. Being vampires did have major problems, especially if you're a vegetarian. Even worse, being a mind-reader, my constant thirst was intensified four-fold because I wasn't the only supernatural being in the school.

My brothers, Emmett and Jasper, were equally thirsty. This was bad; we should have hunted last night. Carlisle had told us, but I had thought we could manage one more day. Rosalie, one of my 'sisters', looking stunningly beautiful as usual, had her hand covering her eyes. I 'heard' my other sister, Alice, giggle as she complained to her mate, Emmett.

"Why are you sitting like that?" he asked Rose.

"My eyes," she wailed quietly. "They're _black! Black, _Emmett! I look horrible with dark colors, especially my eyes. We really need to hunt!" _I must look so horrid right now. No wonder all the silly humans are staring at me. We MUST hunt tonight. _

I hid a laugh as I listened to her musings, ignoring the hundreds of other minds I could hear right now in my head. Oh, how I wished I didn't have THIS ability! Living would have been so much more peaceful and quiet.

But I couldn't stop the grin. Our extraordinary appearance always attracted huge amounts of unwanted attention. To human eyes, we appeared too beautiful and exquisite to be real. We even smelled amazing. I knew it all. I could see and smell everything the fragile humans were seeing and smelling. Anything the brain controlled, I could feel it. So right now, I would be looking at a thousand different part of the same crowded cafeteria even if I had my eyes closed. Once again, I wondered what I would have been like if I didn't have the stupid mind-reading power.

But most of the humans today were thinking about the new female student. Apparently, she was the daughter of the chief of police here in this teensy town. Name, Isabella Swan. But she preferred to be called "Bella" as I watched her correct everyone who addressed her by her full name.

On normal days, the arrival of a new student would barely have had any effect on me and my pointless existence. But somehow, the very second I had 'seen' her enter the school grounds through the boring eyes of Jessica Stanley and her friend George Saylan, the strangest thing had happened.

Every time I glimpsed the girl through someone else's eyes, a strange feeling would coarse through me, an emotion so powerful, I felt almost winded and breathless. Jasper was as confused as I was, considering he could feel as well as alter other's emotions. The very sound of the girl's name would send the most amazing flutters through my insides, and I would catch myself hoping to befriend her.

But as soon as I thought that, misery swept through me. I could never be friends with someone human, and this Bella person seemed so much more fragile and delicate than any other human I had ever seen. It seemed just my breath could snap her into pieces.

I winced silently as I imagined the horrible the mental pictures. As soon as I cringed, I was confused. Why was an insignificant human female having such a strong effect on me?

But I knew part of it was because, somehow, I couldn't read her mind. I couldn't even so much as even a whisper. Why was she so silent and mysterious?

She blushed and tripped so much it was hilarious. Once again, I was confounded by what was happening. Was I losing my mind, finally, after listening to so many others for such a long time? Was I snapping?

I sensed Jasper's amusement as he felt what I was feeling.

_I don't think so, _he told me mentally. _It's more like you're in love, Edward._

I smirked and looked away. Right. Me, Edward Mason Cullen, was in love.

But I couldn't dwell on Jasper's ridiculous theory. And that was, once again, because of the girl, Isabella Swan. Somehow, I knew she had a big secret. Something huge, something rare, something…sinister.

But I couldn't concentrate on my own thoughts anymore because the girl who was haunting my mind just walked into the room. I inhaled sharply as I looked at her skin through Mike Newton's eager eyes.

She was so frail, like a bubble about to pop. It seemed as if the slightest brush of an immortal hand on her wrist could shatter her into a thousand pieces. Why was she was delicate? And I could also sense her discomfort and embarrassment. Of course she could feel everyone talking and thinking about her. Every single student's mind in Fork High School was busy speculating about her.

The males were imagining themselves asking her out to dinner, then moving their relationship one more step to movies and private dates. Within seconds, they were imagining her falling in love with them. Someone even imaged their marriage. How repulsive.

The females were wondering how to befriend her, knowing that becoming Isabella Marie Swan's best friend would boost their reputation in school to no end. Maybe that could even provoke some guys to ask them out or something. Ugh. How could anything get more stupid and irrelevant than that? But it seemed Mike Newtown and Jessica Stanley were already timidly friends with her.

I watched with Jessica as she entered the cafeteria with her and Mike and pick out her food with them. She took surprisingly little food, obviously nervous about her first day at school. The poor thing.

Hang on, I was…_pitying _her? Me? What was going on?

Once more, Jasper tried to explain.

_I told you, I think you're in love. You're confused greatly, but I'm completely sure you're in love. Congrats, but…with a human? Couldn't you find someone more durable? She looks so breakable._

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not, Jasper," I told him quietly. I noted as my other siblings deliberately pretended to ignore our one-sided conversation, but I could hear each of them listening closely. Except Rosalie. Right now, she was musing about her hair contrasting with her 'horrible black' eyes.

"I'm not," I insisted as Jasper started to contradict my statement. "Why on earth would I be? That's the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard" For the strangest reason, I was hesitant about saying Jasper's theory out loud. Why was that?

Alice laughed, her tinkling voice bouncing lightly around the huge room. "Okay, I don't know what you're talking about, but, Jasper, Edward's not consenting on whatever you're thinking about no matter what you say. Or think."

"Exactly," I sighed, relieved for her support.

I turned back to the hideous pile of sickening human food stacked on my lunch tray. At least we didn't have to eat this disgusting 'food' in Forks. In Alaska, we had. I shuddered at the memory.

Alice opened her mouth to ask me what Jasper was thinking about to me when she froze, in the midst of another one of her visions.

I watched curiously as Isabella walked past our table in Alice's mind, but stopped a few feet from Emmett's chair. Immediately, my future-self in the vision froze, stiffening swiftly, but seconds later, I twisted around in my chair to face the girl. The images darkened and eventually ended.

"What was that about?" I asked Alice, even though I knew she was as confounded as I was.

"I don't know," she said, replaying the bizarre vision in her head. "It didn't make any sense, but why would you—?"

She didn't get a chance to finish her question, because Isabella just walked by our table. Moments later, she froze, staring at me directly with eyes that didn't show the tiniest hint of fear or discomfort common for humans around us. Instead, she looked delighted and absolutely thrilled to see us. I probed mentally at the covering which hid her mind from me. Why could I read her mind like everyone else's?

Finally, I couldn't stand the frustration. I decided to see if direct eye-contact would help, so I spun in my seat and faced her directly. So soon as I moved, her expressed turned to utter delight and happiness so intense I was dumbstruck. What was wrong with her?

Her expression swiftly changed to one of anticipation. I felt my own face turn to shock as she smiled a heartbreakingly beautiful grin and strode happily over to us. Everyone's confusion was so overwhelming, but I couldn't concentrate on that—I was too busy trying to figure out this especially fragile human's bizarre actions.

"Hello!" she said brightly. I was taken aback. She hadn't been so cheerful since she'd entered the school.

"You're the Cullens, right?" she continued chirpily.

I felt Alice having another vision, but I didn't really notice. I was staring at Bella with dumbstruck eyes. Also, there was no way she could have known our surname. She hadn't asked about us from any student and she certainly hadn't seen any of us before now.

At least Emmett had the sense left to answer.

"Yeah...um, hi," he said, clearly awkward.

"You're Emmett McCarty," Bella said confidently. I heard Rosalie gasp. "Yes, and you're Rosalie Hale, of course, I've heard so much about your beauty. And your misfortunes in you human life. And you must be Jasper Whitlock. Yes, from the Southern Wars, obviously from your scars. And you're Edward Mason Junior, of course now you're Mason Cullen. You were changed while dying from the Great Flu, I found out. And you're Alice from the asylum. Such a fascinating gift you have."

I swallowed nervously. There had been no chance this tiny human knew so much about us. And she'd even hinted that she knew we were not human. We were vampires.

Alice swiftly recovered her wits.

"I suppose we should go out and talk, huh?" she said, sounded winded.

Unexpectedly, that unfamiliar feeling brushed through me as Bella smiled shyly at Alice's suggestion.

We all rose from the table. Bella didn't so much as flinch when Emmett stood right next to her. What was she? She wasn't afraid of vampires, at alone even intimidated by them. Was she human, or something else?

Once we were standing at the door, Bella quickly whispered. Her words flowed much swifter than a human but slower than an immortal's. Strange. Fascinating. I'd love to study her. I carefully took a whiff of her blood.

I couldn't believe what I smelled. She was NOT human. A strange mixture of them both. There was blood and a pulse in her veins, but her scent was thickly covered with the sweet smell of vampire nature. She must be a hybrid. Carlisle had told me once about them. Human mother and immortal father. I'd even met one many years back. A hybrid named Nahuel in Brazil. But most of all, her scent was very sweet, and extraordinarily powerful. I knew that: _la tua cantante_. My singer. But there was enough of the vampire smell for me to control myself.

"I knew a place in the forests at the back of the school grounds," Bella whispered quickly. "Follow me. And Alice, I'd appreciate it if you stopped thinking of me as a threat. I'm a friend, I assure you. You too, Jasper."

I blinked in shock. Could she read minds as well?

"Yes," she said, looking right at me. The feeling fluttered through me once more. "I have several…abilities. I'll reveal them at the right times. Now, please, follow me, we really have to talk."

I swallowed back the storm of questions building in my head.

She took a small step forward, smiling at every one of us in turn before running across the parking lot right into the small backyard. Whoa. She was as fast as any of us. God, she definitely not human.

I kept my eyes fixed on her, too fascinated by her blinding beauty to notice anything else. For the first time, I didn't hear the babble of voice (both verbal and mental) in my head, I didn't feel everything through Jasper, I didn't see the future through Alice. All I could see the stunningly beautiful creature darting with breathtaking grace. I never through I'd see the day when Rosalie's beauty would be challenged. But this girl…she seemed almost painfully beautiful. And yet so fragile…

As I followed her with my family through the darkening woods, I noticed that the clumsiness had been a façade. She moved with a grace so incredible, I caught myself wondering if this was a dream. Of course it couldn't be, vampires never dream. Never. Of course not.

"Thank you for not mistaking me for an illusion, Edward," Bella called, still running. I blinked as I realized she'd heard what I had been thinking about.

I barely noticed where she was taking us. All of a sudden, we ended up at a grassy clearing. It wasn't bright or flowery or sunny like anyone would expect. It was simply an ordinary forest clearing.

She was standing, smiling beautifully at us, as we approached her carefully. I was too entranced by her to be cautious.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I know this must be very confusing for you all."

"You have no idea," Emmett muttered.

I listened in wonder to Bella's tinkling laughter. How could such a wonderful, enchanted sound exist in this dreary world?

"So, first of all, I need to introduce myself," she continued cheerfully. She folded herself carefully and sat down on the grass. My family and I stood still for a few minutes. Alice combed the future for danger, but found none, so we followed suit and stand down in a straight line in front of her.

"You vamps don't need to tell me who you are," she laughed happily. I froze. So she did know about us. Obvious, considering she was half-vampire. "I know everything there is to know about you.

"Carlisle Cullen, your 'father', was changed in one of his vamp-hunts. He was miserable by what he was and changed his diet and fed on animals. He's very sweet and loving and very nice. He changed you, Edward, when your mother asked him to do everything to stop you from dying from the deadly flu. He changed his mate, darling Esme, when she jumped off a cliff in depression from a lost child and failed marriage. You, Rosalie, were abused disgustingly by your to-be-husband. When you were changed, you rebelled against your inability to become a mother, but your happiness was restored when sweet Emmett here was found. He was attacked by a bear and changed by Carlisle at your request. You're mates, of course, now. Alice, I know you don't know your past, but I know nothing more than this: your human parents were scared by your scanty abilities and sent you to an asylum where a veggie-vamp fell in love with you. He was forced to change you to save you from a sadistic vampire called James. I'm sorry, but I don't know his full name. You, Jasper, were changed during the Vamp Southern Wars. You left Maria and her sisters—" Jasper flinched when he realized just much Bella knew about him "—when you couldn't stand taking human lives so repeatedly. Alice, here, found you through her visions and together, you two joined the Cullen clan. This is all I know about you."

Everyone was frozen in shock. I, for once, was speechless. This was a true miracle. How had such a tiny being found out so much about us? She even knew Maria! How could that ever be?

Bella giggled lightly as she read our shocked faces.

"Surprised, huh?" she laughed.

"Hell, yeah!" Emmett boomed. "How did you…?"

"I suppose it's time for my own story, huh?" she sighed, her good mood vanished. I suddenly felt devastated as her face turned to one of immense sorrow. She looked a year younger than me, and so beautiful. And sad…

"First of all," she began slowly. "Know I'm not Chief Swan's biological daughter. I was adopted by him. I'll explain that in time.

"I met my real parents. Mother was human when she got married to Father, but she died seconds after I was…born." I knew why she hesitated. Hybrid births were violent and bloody. "Father couldn't live without Mother, but he couldn't leave me all alone. I matured at age seven and had remained the same way for twenty years now. A few years after my maturity, Father explained why he had to kill himself. I understood. He was destroyed just a decade ago." Her voice broke here. She dropped her face, staring at her feet, and I watched, horrified, as a single tear rolled down her face and dropped to the ground.

"Anyways," she said, brushing the drop away and taking a deep breath. "I had been alone for around five or so years before I wandered into Forks several years back. My adoptive father, Charlie Swan, Chief Swan to you, adopted me soon afterwards. I had discovered the 'veggie' way of life with my father, so being with humans was no trouble at all. I had huge funds from my father (almost as much as you Cullens do) all over the world. So I told Charlie to let me travel around for a few years. He was hesitant, but agreed. I left around a year or so before you all moved back into here."

"Back into here?" I repeated. How had she known we'd lived here before?

"I know everything about everyone the moment I see them," she replied calmly. "That's one of my abilities. I had several, in fact. I am heavily coveted by the parasitic Volturi, of course, but I refuse to ever join them and their foul ways.

"Anyways. I heard a powerful coven was moving in here, so I decided it was time for me to come home."

I felt a wondering smile break across my face. "What else can you do?"

"My main ability is weather control," she answered. Everyone gasped loudly.

"For example," she said. She closed her eyes for a moment, her fingers fluttering rapidly. Within seconds, snow was falling heavily all over Forks. I was astounded.

"Wow…" I heard Alice murmured, pleased. "This is incredibly, Miss Swan."

"Call me Bella, please," the stunning creature in front of me answered, smiling happily. "Its great to meet a renowned coven like yours, you know."

"I'm surprised we haven't heard about you before," Jasper mused thoughtfully. He was flipping through his memories rapidly, looking for traces of Isabella.

"I was careful not to make too many contacts," she told him. "I didn't want to attract the foul Italians' attention, but that was inevitable, of course."

Just then, a tiny white flake landed right on her nose. She scowled at it, annoyed. I saw her hands moving swiftly again, and the snow was quickly replaced by the usual rain. I watched quietly, fascinated.

"What else?" Jasper wondered. "What else can you do?"

"Well, I'm also a shield, mental only, and a mind-intruder, like Edward here," she said happily, pointing at me. A swell of happiness filled me as I realized she was looking right at me.

I knew right then that Jasper was right. I was completely in love with this beautiful creature.


	2. Friends

**I hope everyone liked the previous chapter. I know I didn't do an excellent job, because this is my first fanfic, but still, I'm hoping to improve with time.**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 2: Friends

BPOV

Everyone was silent and frozen for a long time after I was done speaking. I giggled quietly at their utter shock and surprise. Even brawny Emmett was speechless. I knew it was very confusing for them, meeting a random person they'd thought was human, then discovering I'm not, then finding out that I know everything about them, and all that. Poor things.

I studied each of their dumbstruck faces.

Emmett: _Whoa. This is incredible. And she's not immortal! Cool! This is going to be fun. Maybe I could challenge her to a wrestling match after we're friends? That might be fun! Wonder how strong she is. Can't be too much; she looks pretty delicate._

Jasper:_ How can this be? A…hybrid? Half-vampire? Huh. This is going to be difficult. And I can't get anything fearful from her. She's elated to meet us. Gosh, this is weird._

Alice: _Ohhh! This is going to be so much fun! I could take her shopping, and get some manicures!! She does seem to have a proper dress sense, but those silly jeans really need to be thrown away. She'll look so pretty in stilettos and…_

Rosalie: _Hmm…can she be trusted? I don't think so. She and her pretty looks. I bet she thinks she's prettier than me. As if that's possible!! Hah! But she seems nice enough. Maybe we can be friends and find out more about her._

But as soon as I turned to Edward, I got that same strange fluttery feeling I'd gotten the moment I'd first touched his mind. Gosh, what was going on? I once met this vampire who told me about finding a mate. He said the moment you touch their hand, you'll feel a tiny spark pass between you two. Was _this _ what he'd meant?

I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off Edward. He was so beautiful, with his bronze hair and dark eyes. I knew they'd lighten up. I'd heard their plans to go hunting tonight. Maybe I could 'accidentally' choose the same spot as theirs. Maybe I could befriend the Cullens. Oh, how I would love to meet Esme and Carlisle!

I refused to listen to their thoughts anymore. It was very rude to invade someone's private thoughts, and I refused to disrespect Edward's privacy. I knew he wasn't used to that, so I immediately tightened my mental shield faster around me, blocking out the mental voices rushing through my head.

"So, um, Bella," Alice began excitedly. I knew she was already friends with me, and I smiled warmly back at her.

"Yes, Alice?" I asked, looking down at her. She was so tiny, but adorable-looking.

"You want to meet Carlisle?" she suggested excitedly.

My eyes widened. "I would _love _to! I've heard so much about him, and it'll be fascinating to meet him in person."

"So, we'll pick you up after school today, alright?" she replied, wringing her hands in anticipation.

I smiled. "Thank you so much." I turned back to the other Cullens, careful to keep my eyes off Edward. Jasper would 'feel' me. "And thank you all for listening to me. I know you're all very…surprised, but you'll get used to me."

I closed my eyes. Oops! I just spilled out my plans to befriend them. Was that what they wanted? Emmett did, Alice did, Jasper was unsure and Alice was sure he'd warm up eventually, Rosalie was hesitant but she wanted to as well. All that remained was _him, _but I refused to eavesdrop on him.

"This'll be fun," Emmett boomed, his voice echoing across the trees.

"Yes. We'll tell Carlisle and Esme when we get the time," Jasper added, eyeing my speculatively. I was still blocking all of them, so I didn't know what he was thinking, but obviously, he was wondering if I could be trusted.

I wondered briefly how to earn their trust. Maybe I should have taken things a little slower. That might have been easier for them to absorb, but I couldn't help it. I was just so elated to meet them.

"Thank you," I grinned. Distinctly, I heard the school bell ring, announcing the end of lunch period.

"We have to return to school," Edward announced. My pulse quickened rapidly when I heard his velvety voice. "Lunch is over. Thank you, Bella, for introducing yourself to us. We really appreciate it."

I gulped quickly to muster up the strength to reply. "You're welcome. It was great talking to you as well. I'll see you in the lot, okay?"

"Thank you," he replied politely. He got up gracefully and the others copied him. He followed them out of the clearing, while I was staring after him. He hesitated briefly, and then turned back to me, smiled and quickly left.

I stared after him, entranced by his grace and poise. How could something so beautiful be so wonderful? It was hardly fair. I wrenched my gaze away from _him, _turned back and ran right into the forest before I could move closer to him.

EPOV

I couldn't help myself. Just after Alice and everyone else had left, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my Bella behind. It felt horrid, leaving me hollow and empty. I stopped, wondering if I could manage looking at her blinding beauty.

I turned around slowly, debating whether she liked me the tiniest amount of the crushing love I felt for her. Did she even have any feelings for me at all? Oh, how I hoped that, at the very least, I could befriend her.

I smiled at her, my eyes roaming over her breathtaking face. She looked startled at first, then her expression turned to one of surprise and, to my pleasant surprise, gratitude. A look of adoration and admiration.

I could tell she was pleased, very pleased, by my grin. My dead heart soared high above when I saw that she cared for me too. Just moments later, she closed her eyes and darted into the trees. I was shocked.

Did I scare her or something? But she hadn't looked surprised; she had seemed so happy and pleased by my simple gesture. Then why had she run away? Maybe…just maybe, she was confused by my absolute addiction to her.

If that was so, I could give her time. Of course I could. I would give her endless time to figure out her suddenly confusing and blinding life. And she was sorted out and satisfied, I'll help her. In any way I could, I'll do everything I could to make sure she was happy.

Her happiness was the only thing to mattered in the world. A smile from her could brighten a whole dreary day. Suddenly, I found myself wondering if I had any classes with her. It would be so wonderful if I could sit beside her and talk to her. Maybe I could find out more about my beloved.

I made my way back to class, pondering ways to ease her discomfort amongst so many humans. If she had a friend to help her out, she'd be so much happy. Maybe I could be that friend.

My class after lunch was Biology. Mr. Banner, the teacher, hadn't arrived in class yet when I entered and took my seat. I closed my eyes and searched through the minds of every student in the room that might indicate that _she _had a class here right now as well.

_Ah! Yes!! Yes!! Bella has a class with me! Perfect!! But…damn! Jessica's got the seat beside mine. Damn. Maybe I could tell her to move somewhere else and Bella can take Jess's seat.._

That would be vile Mike Newton, one of the males who already had a crush on Bella. With a jolt, I remembered the seat beside mine was the only place left empty in class. That would mean Bella would have to sit beside me! Yes! Pure happiness and gratitude flowed through me. I longed to look at her, but I carefully kept my eyes on the table, removing my worthless books from my bag.

I watched Mr. Banner look up as Bella entered the class. Ah, I could see the tiny flaws in her façade. She looked a trifle excited, but her pretension to be dreadfully clumsy was flawless. I watched with silent amusement as she pretended to stumble over the lip of the door and catch a girl's desk nearby to steady herself. She really was an excellent actress.

I couldn't stop myself anymore. I looked up and stared right at her eyes. I imagined what it would be like to hear her mind. It was so frustrating, not to know what she was thinking. But also fascinating in a way.

I watched quietly as she handed a slip to her teacher who signed it quickly and assigned her to the seat next to mine.

"Hello, Edward," she said politely, speaking too quietly for humans to hear.

"Hi," I replied, struggling to keep my voice from shaking from the emotions tumbling around me. I felt…elated.

"Will you mind if I remove my shield?" she whispered, not looking at me to give everyone else the impression that she wasn't talking at all. Her eyes were fixed at the blackboard hanging on the far wall.

I nodded once fast.

I waited patiently for her to remove her shield. If I'd had a heartbeat, it would have been racing now. I was dying to hear her mind after all this time.

_Edward? Can you hear me? _

Her mental voice was so beautiful, so velvety, so musical, I was lost in their folds for several seconds before I could return back to my body enough to answer. I knew she was 'listening' to me, so I replied mentally.

_Yes, and thank you. I was curious to hear what you sounded like. _

She smiled a little, and I found myself struck by the staggering beauty.

_I'm glad. I know its hard for you to bear secrets. You're used to knowing everything, aren't you?_

I nodded, pleased. She understood. _Yes, it was _very _frustrating. At first I was wondering if I was losing my ability. _

_I know, it was hilarious. _ She laughed.

I blurted out a question I was extremely curious about. _You look so…breakable. I thought you were half-vampire. Why is that?_

Her face became tragic. I felt horrible for making her feel bad. How could I have been so heartless?!

_My first encounter with the Italian scum Volturi was Jane. She was infuriated by my refusal to join their stupid Guard, and attacked. I'd forgotten to keep my shield up. She tortured me for a full day before Aro and the others arrived to stop her. I was greatly weakened. I might be powerful mentally, but physically, other than the speed, I'm more fragile than humans._

I froze. How dare anyone attack this beautiful girl? She was so sweet and wonderful! How could anyone be so heartless? I would destroy that Jane! No wonder Bella was so shy.

_Wait, _I said. _If you're so delicate, how do you hunt lions and bears?_

_I guess I forgot to explain my weather control. I crush their bones by sqeezing them with the air. After they've suffocated, I drain the blood._

I was fascinated. _You have to show me that sometime. Wait, we're all going hunting tonight; would you like to join us? Carlisle and Esme are going, too!_

_Really? Oh, thank you! That would be perfect! Thank you so much, Edward!_


	3. Meet the Family

**I'm really pleased to find so many people liking my first fanfic. Thank you, guys! I took the description of the Cullen house from Twilight. Stephenie, please don't mind! **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 3: Meet the Family

EPOV

I was delighted to find that Bella really wanted to meet Carlisle and Esme. Apparently, after Carlisle had deserted the Volturi rumors of his ideas and theories had spread across the vampire community. That was where she'd first heard of him. She learned about Esme from me.

I told her about Esme's human life. When I got to the part where she jumped off a cliff, Bella's eyes welled up with tears. She blushed pink and dropped her head to hide the tears. I was so pleased to find her so compassionate. I knew Carlisle and Esme would love her.

Unfortunately, other than Biology, I didn't have any other classes with Bella, a fact which saddened me considerably. I found Jasper highly pleased to find me in love.

"Good job, bro!" he said, pleased, as we headed to Government together.

I rolled my eyes, knowing what he was talking about. "Thanks, but please don't tell the others, alright? Emmett will tease the hell of me and Alice…"

Jasper laughed. "Alice would be excited enough to annoy you out of the town. Yeah, I know, but still. Congratulations. I'm really happy for you."

I grinned back at him and took my seat next to him in class. The teacher, Mrs. Oswald, walked in just after us and started the class. I was barely listening to her, concentrating on Jessica who was seated beside Bella in her Trigonometry class.

_Cool! She's in my class! "Hey, Bella!"_

Bella looked up from her desk and smiled warmly at Jessica. _"Hello, Jessica," _she said politely.

_She's very pretty. "Mind if I take the chair?"_

"_No, of course not."_

I longest to listen to her mind, but she was wrapped up in her shield once more. But Jessica had noticed her talking to my family at lunch, and she was very curious about it.

_I guess I otta ask her now, _she was thinking. _"So, um, I saw you…chatting with the Cullens at lunch. You know them?" _

I panicked. How would she explain?

But she wasn't worried the slightest. Apprearently, she already had her excuses figured out. God, this girl was quick.

"Dad told me about them before I came to school this morning," she replied calmly, smiling the slightest bit. She was the best actress I'd ever seen.

_Oooh, this might be interesting! I might even get the inside scoop on the Cullens. That Edward…"Really? What did he tell you?" _Jessica wanted to know.

I briefly wondered if she knew the cover story for my family here in Forks. Did her knowing ability extend that much?

Bella was calm and replied, "Just that the kids were all twins or siblings somehow related to the doctor. He adopted them, didn't he?" She was pretending to be unsure. This was fascinating!

"Yes, go on," Jessica was eagerly impatient. _I always know this stuff. Isn't there anything else? Anything?_

"I heard Esme Cullen's their mom," Bella continued. This time I saw, through Jessica's eyes, that she was scanning the human's mind for more information. So she didn't have the full story.

I had an idea. I quickly prodded at her mind, making sure the shield was still intact.

_Bella? Can you hear me?_

I watched with Jessica as her eyes widened fractionally. Instantly, the protective covering was gone.

_Edward?_

So my plan was going to work. I quickly went through every detail of my family's cover story, making sure she heard it all. It was all over in a matter of seconds, so fast Jessica hadn't noticed Bella's hesitation.

_Thank you, Edward, _she said gratefully.

_My pleasure. _It was. It gave me happiness and pleasure beyond description to have her smile because of me. With a quiet _tang! _the shield snapped back into position and I couldn't hear her anymore.

I watched, satisfied, as Bella answered Jessica's questions. The poor human was very disappointed to know that Bella didn't have anything new for her.

School was both dreadfully boring and incredibly interesting at the same time. The fun parts were when I watching Bella, and the dull times were when I couldn't see her. I just couldn't wait to take her home. Alice was chattering at full volume about what was going to happen.

"Carlisle and Esme are going to love her!" she gushed excitedly to Rosalie and Jasper while Emmett fumed over a detention he'd gotten for smacking a ball at PE right at a boy's face.

"Who's driving her there?" Jasper asked her.

_Edward the lover boy, of course. _"Edward," she answered.

I froze in my tracks. How had she found out I was in love with Bella?

She pretended not to notice. _Oh, come on, Edward. Did you honestly believe I wasn't going to find out? When are you finally going to learn that keeping a secret from me is bound to fail before it starts?_

I gulped, nervous. Alice's eyes glazed over as she had another vision of me begging her not to tell anyone else.

She was extremely smug. _All right, I won't. But it won't stay that way forever._

I growled incoherently at no one in particular. Just as we reached the student's parking lot, my eyes automatically began scanning the wide open space for my beloved.

"Where's Bella?" Emmett asked before I could.

"At her car," Alice replied confidently. Of course, as usual, Alice was right. Bella was leaning against the door of an ancient rusted Chevy truck, staring at the wheel disgustedly.

I couldn't help asking her. _You really hate that car, don't you?_

I was a little wry as she removed her shield and said, _Yes. You won't believe how slow it is. _I got a brief mental image of a race between a turtle and the old truck—the turtle was winning easily.

I laughed loudly. Rosalie stared at me, thinking, _I knew it. He's finally lost it._

I didn't stop my chuckles as I nodded at my siblings and walked over to _her _truck.

"Hi," I said, smiling.

She laughed. "Hi! So, you're taking me to the Cullen house?"

"Yes. The others will follow in my Volvo."

Her eyes searched the lot. "Is that it, over there?" She pointed at my Volvo four cars down. My family, moving at a human pace, hadn't reached it yet.

"Yes," I told her.

"Won't they be frustrated, moving at my crawl?" she asked. I noticed a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'm sure Alice knows it already," I smiled at her. Her eyes unfocused for a few seconds and she quickly got inside the car and stared fixedly at the windshield. I was suddenly worried out of my mind. What was wrong with her? Was she alright?

But she was fine. She started the engine, cringing slightly at the intense roar and gunned it slowly out of the drive.

"Bella?" I began. Just speaking her name gave me intense pleasure.

"Yes?" she said, looking at me while keeping one eye on the road.

"Do you read _my _mind?" I asked curiously.

"No," she admitted. She blushed for some reason I couldn't figure out. "I usually don't use _that _ability. I hate invading anyone's privacy. I only do that when I reveal what I am to vampires, like today at the clearing. At normal times, like this, I keep it…off."

I was shocked. "How do you do that? Could you teach me?" It would be so peaceful if I had some quietness for some time.

"Sorry, I don't know how," she told me, smiling apologetically. "I just…do it."

"That's alright," I said quickly. Somehow, she seemed upset at not being able to help me. Did that mean she cared for me, too?

And all this while, a strange current hummed in the air between Bella and me. Her every movement seemed to increase the tension, and I was overwhelmed by a sudden desire to grip her hand or touch her anyway.

Yes, I was madly in love with her.

BPOV

Edward was very cheerful and talkative as he guided me patiently out of town right into a forest road. I was amused by his little anecdotes about Emmett, laughing loudly as he told me about his brother's childish games with the bear he used for food.

Occasionally, I would peek at him from the corner of my eye and the desire to look at his eyes and never look away would reach a point where I would feel as if I were choking on it. It wasn't a bad feeling. Edward seemed as happy as me to sit beside each other and chatter happily as he guided me to his house.

"Left, here," he said, and I turned the wheel, driving my turtle-car into their four-mile-long driveway.

I drove my historical truck into a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn? The gloom of the forest didn't relent, thought, for there were six huge cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweeping branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the enormous house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story.

The house itself was timeless, graceful and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. My truck was the only car in sight, but I could hear the Volvo pulling into the lawn behind me. I could also hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest.

I was stunned by the beauty of the mansion before me. It was so beautiful. As graceful and beautiful as the Cullens themselves.

"Wow," I muttered.

"You like it?" Edward smiled.

"Its beautiful!" I told him. "Esme did the restoration, right?"

He raised his brows. "How did you know?"

"It fits what I heard of her," I replied. It did. The entire house seemed to speak of a lovely woman painting and restoring every inch lovingly into perfection.

I got out of the car, and was about to lock it when I remembered that no one could steal it here. Edward smiled at my trust, which he could clearly see, and led me inside.

The interior was even more surprising, less predictable than the outside. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one large open space. The back south-facing wall had been replaced entirely with glass and, beyond the sage of the cedars, the lawn stretched on bare to the wide rushing river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floor, and the thick carpets were all in varying shades of white.

Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left the door, on a raised part of the floor by a spectacular grand glossy black piano, were Edward's parents.

Carlisle, though I'd seen him many times in others' minds, was a big shock. He was very young, maybe in his early twenties, and blond. He was bone-pale and very handsome. I found a sudden resemblance to a famous actor and blushed a little. He had dark eyes with circles around them. All of the Cullens really needed to hunt.

At his side stood Esme. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of caramel-colored hair reminded me of the silent-movie era. She was small, slender, yet less-angular, more rounded than the rest of them. They were both casually dressed in soft colors, and smiled warmly when I entered.

"Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella," Edward introduced me. "Alice called you about her, right?"

"Of course I did!" I started and spun around to find Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Rosalie standing right at my side. I had been so occupied with the house I hadn't noticed them entered. Emmett smirked when I blinked at them.

Esme smiled warmly. "Its great to meet you, Bella." She moved over and took my hand, squeezing it lightly. "Alice told me about your wonderful powers."

"Yes, it seems we have much to discuss," Carlisle added.

I smiled, nervous but at ease at the same time. This felt very natural. I was the tiniest bit uncomfortable—this was the largest coven, aside from the Volturi, I'd ever come across—but it felt very natural and easy. Afterall, this was where I belong, not with the humans but among my own kind. Well, they weren't exactly hybrids like me, but still. It felt easy and _right. _

EPOV

Carlisle was fascinated by Bella's abilities. Esme was astounded when she made the weather snowy again, slowly progressing into a violent blizzard before erasing it away swiftly to be replaced by the natural rain.

"That's fascinating!" Carlisle exclaimed, watching with wide eyes full of wonder. "How do you do it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just concentrate on what I want, and the air changes to support it. Anything the air surrounds, I control." Her eyes shifted to a flower vase set on a nearby table.

I watched, surprised, as she stared at it for a moment. With a light whoosh of air, the vase rose above two feet, and moved quickly over to Esme and dropped gently in her surprised hands.

"Wow, Bella!" she breathed, her eyes wide. "This is so amazing!"

"Thank you," Bella smiled.

"What else can you do?" Carlisle pressed on.

"This, shielding mental attacks, mind-reading, touch-knowledge—" she began.

"Touch-knowledge?" Carlisle asked, baffled. I was curious too. What was that?

"It's the ability to know everything about something or someone the moment you touch them," Bella explained. "For example, if I held this vase, I'd know every person who'd ever touched it, what it's made of, everything. Or if I touched you, I'd know where you were born, every place you've been to, etc."

"Like Aro's ability?" Carlisle asked.

She flinched when he mentioned Aro. Once again, my vision was all red and I hungry. I wanted to rip Jane apart and set fire to her remains. Anyone that hurt Bella was my eternal enemy. Jasper noticed my sudden violence and calmed me down before anyone could notice it.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "Alice told me about your…ordeal with them."

"It's alright," she said, recovering quickly, but her voice was still slightly rough from the memory. "And yes, its slightly similar, but I don't see memories or thoughts. Just places, and random information. Like your history. I know, for fact, that you were born in London. It also works with objects, but living beings are easier. Objects don't have feelings, you know."

Esme smiled. "It must hard to keep track of so many abilities."

Bella's smile dimmed slightly."It is, but I've learned to manage and control them enough so they don't overwhelm me as they did in the beginning."

"So, Bella," Alice began excitedly. I groaned—she planning on shopping with Bella.

"Its none of your business," she growled at me. "Anyways, Bella, would you—"

Bella, on the other hand, had understood my miniature sister's intensions. "No, thank you, Alice. My wardrobe is perfectly fine. I prefer casual dresses."

"But your jeans—" Alice complained.

"Are a little old, but I have better at home," Bella smiled mischievously.

Alice hesitated, having another vision. I watched with my teensy sister as she watched Bella's clothes tomorrow. She was very satisfied.

"Oooh, Bella, I love the dress you're wearing tomorrow!" she squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. Jasper threw an adoring glance at her, which made Bella smile.

But she suddenly slipped off her shield and asked me, _What am I wearing tomorrow? I didn't watch with Alice._

I grinned. She wanted _me _to help her. Me! _A yellow knee-length—_

_Oh, I remember that one. It used to be Mom's. Thank you, Edward. _She didn't seem very happy, which worried me greatly Why was she so depressed suddenly?

The first encounter with my parents went great. Emmett and Bella raced (Bella won, to his disappointment) and wrestled. The last match saddened both me and Esme greatly. Even Rosalie felt a little pity. Alice looked ready to burst into tears.

"Sorry, Emmett," Bella said in a small voice, looking down at her feet. "I can't fight."

"Why not?" Emmett grumbled, crossing his arms.

I watched, with overwhelming horror, as a single tear fell from Bella's eyes. A sudden urge to rush to her side and comfort her took over me. Before I knew it, I was standing by her side, my arm around her shoulder, patting her gently. I was surprised, but pleased. She didn't mind my sudden closeness.

She brushed away the tear, and sniffed. "Jane…"

I shot Emmett a warning glance, forbidding him to allow her to explain the whole thing. That would greatly depress her. And her sorrow was one thing I couldn't live through.

But luckily, Alice had explained her infirmity to him before.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bella," he apologized quickly. "I didn't mean…"

"Its fine," she said. She swallowed once and looked up.

Esme was full of remorse. _Oh, the poor girl! How horrible. She must be feeling so degraded right now. Oh, I wish I could do something to help her. _She darted to her side and squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"Bella, honey, please don't be sad," she breathed. "This isn't your fault."

"Thank you, Esme," Bella said gratefully and gave my mother a quick hug.

Esme was delighted. _She's the sweetest, kindest, nicest girl I've ever met! She's…adorable. _

I smiled widely.

_The poor thing, _Alice was thinking. _That idiotic Jane! Ugh!_

Even Rosalie felt remorse. _She looks so helpless right now…poor Bella. _

She stayed with us until five that afternoon. I was so happy; I wondered if I jumped, I would start flying. Jasper was grinning widely the whole time.

Somehow or other, Esme guessed at my feelings for Bella. She seemed smug all day, and cunningly suggested I drop Bella safely off at home. I tried my best to hide my excitement. It seemed not matter how long I spent with Bella; I would always want more.

She allowed me to drive her truck to her house this time. She was silent the whole time. I wondered what she was thinking about.

I suddenly remembered my question from earlier.

"Bella?" I asked.

She sniffed quickly before answering. "Yes?" her voice was quivering with tears. I felt wild with anxiety.

"You seemed a little sad all day," I said, fighting to control my voice. The anxiety almost made my tone shake. "Was it Emmett's wrestling match?"

"Oh, no," she said. "It wasn't that. I didn't realize you noticed."

I didn't answer. But how could I _not _notice? She was the centre of the universe, the reason of my existence. How could I ignore the person around whom my being revolved?

"It was Esme," she answered after a while.

I quickly flipped through everything that happened. How had Esme upset her? "Esme? How did she—?"

"She didn't make me sad, of course not!" Bella interjected quickly. "Its just…she's the one filling the role of 'mother' in your family, isn't it? I just…I wish I had a mother, too."

I watched, horrorstruck, as I noticed her face drenched in tears. Her breath shook as she cried completely in silence. I reached over to her and patted her hand.

"Its alright," I whispered to her. "Esme will always be around. I'll tell her about…don't worry. Its alright."

We were already in front of her house. Her father hadn't returned yet.

She recovered very quickly. As she wiped away the heartbreaking tears, she pulled away from me, seeming embarrassed.

"Thank you, Edward," she said sincerely. "It was wonderful, meeting your parents. Esme, especially. She made me realize how much a mother actually means to a lost hybrid like me. Please thank her."

"I will," I promised her.

I watched her as she walked with surreal grace to her door, reach under the eave and pull out the keys. As she opened the door, she looked back and waved at me, smiling happily.

I walked slowly back home, my mind swimming with Bella's images. I was determined to come back at night and watch her sleep. Being away from my beloved was agony.

**There, that's another chapter done. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter (I will be skipping through several months) will be about Bella and Edward confessing to each other that they are in love. Charlie'll get to meet Edward too. And you know what's next: The baseball game and James. Stay tuned and please review!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark.**


	4. Forever Evermore

**As promised, this chapter has skipped through several months. Edward and Bella are madly in love with each other, but Edward thinks Bella considers him nothing more than a friend, and Bella's too shy to tell him that she loves him. Alice, on the other hand, is driving Edward crazy, telling him to confess his feelings to Bella, reassuring him again and again that she loves him too, but he thinks, for once, that her visions are flawed. **

**In the meantime, Alice, Bella and Rosalie have become the best of friends, though Bella wishes Alice would stop shopping so much. Rosalie absolutely adores Bella, like Esme and Carlisle. Emmett teases the hell out of her and Jasper looks after her like a little sister. Awww…**

**Alright, now, let's start!**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 4: Forever Evermore

BPOV

I woke up bright and early. Well, I didn't wake up. My cellphone, buzzing like a hive of bees, woke me up. I groaned. I was one hundred percent sure it was Alice. She'd promised to take me out for ANOTHER shopping trip today. It was the fourth spree this week. If she doesn't start reigning herself in, I'd have to put my foot down.

Groaning, I dragged myself off the bed and grabbed the phone.

"BELLA!" Alice squeaked right into my ear. I flinched and held the phone a few inches away from my face. Her shrill voice could still be heard quite clearly.

"Hey, Alice," I muttered sleepily

"Are you ready?" she asked. I could hear Jasper laughing at her enthusiasm in the background. Once again, thoughts of Edward saturated my mind. Suddenly, I was very jealous of Jasper and Alice's love. Then, before I could understand what I was feeling, images of Edward and me having a similar relationship swan in my head.

I blushed a bright crimson.

"Do we really need to do this, Alice?" I complained. "This is the fourth time this week. I really don't have enough space in my closet."

"Aw, Bella, come on!" Alice insisted. "It'll be _fun!"_

I groaned. "Everything you say you think will be fun. Be sensible, please, Alice. Can you excuse me just this once? Just this time? Its Sunday, I wanted to sleep in."

"Oh, all right, Bells," she gave up with a long sigh. "I'll take Rose today. But next Monday—"

"I know, I know," I groaned, exasperated. "ANOTHER shopping spree."

Alice giggled and said, "Okay. See ya!" The line cut off before I could see goodbye as well. I sighed and shook my head. How did such a tiny body hold so much energy? She was loads smaller than me, with her miniature face and big brain. How did she attain so much stamina?

But my plans of sleeping in were already ruined. I might as well get breakfast. Charlie was already out fishing with Billy Black from La Push. Ugh, the human food in here smelled worse than anything. I thought for a few minutes, arguing whether to go for a quick hunt. I wasn't really in the mood for cooking.

Making up my mind, I grabbed my raincoat from the hall and pulled on my jogging shoes. I'd prefer to be barefoot, but the grass here tickled a lot. The forests started right from Charlie's backyard, so I darted across and, after briefly checking that no one was around, I launched myself, vampire speed, into the trees.

I sped along a faint path, then, a few miles into the trees, I caught hint of a grizzly. Emmett loved these bears. Maybe he could do with a little competition. I preferred bears myself to deer and elk. I caught sight of the brute a ways off. It was huge.

Acting on pure instinct, I almost ran for it, before remembering that I wasn't strong enough to handle bears. Memories of that infernal day swam through my body.

Jane, smiling widely with pleasure, activating her terrible ability…my body, feeling as if fire and acid were being poured on it…the screaming that didn't make a sound…the endless day…

I shook my head, grunting. I concentrated on the warmed air around the huge grizzly, and lifted it straight up for a few feet. It roared in surprise, clawing wildly at the empty air. I twisted its neck, making sure the tendons and bones snapped too quickly for it to feel pain. I waited for a few minutes, making sure the heart was completely silent before launching myself at the carcass. My teeth closed into its fragile neck. The blood poured down my throat, taming my wild thirst.

I was too occupied with my catch to notice my surrounding, so the sudden voice startled me.

"Bella? What are you doing here?"

I spun around, crouched, ready to attack whatever it was that had just spoken, before recognizing, several seconds too late, that it was Edward. My heart skipped a beat as I saw his deathly pale and painfully beautiful face.

Blood flooded my cheeks and I straightened quickly. "Oh, hi, Edward. Sorry, you scared me."

He smiled crookedly. My heart lurched, racing wildly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized. "I'm surprised to see you here. Did you realize you're out of Washington?"

I blinked. "Oh. I didn't really notice. I was really thirst, and human food…ugh." I shuddered.

He laughed softly. The sound echoed off the surroundings gently, making it sound so heartbreakingly beautiful.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. I noticed right then that his eyes were a little dark. He needed to hunt.

"Sure, but not this one," I prodded the carcass of the bear with my foot. "It's mine."

"Wow," he muttered, seeming to notice the bear just then. His eyes widened. "Now, that's an Emmett-type of catch. How did you kill it?"

I lifted the bear up for the second time and showed him. The head was facing backwards by now. He watched with wide eyes.

"I've never seen you hunt before," he murmured softly.

I blushed, and looked away. "Mind if I resume?"

"Sure, you go ahead," he smiled fondly at me. "I was just looking for a mountain lion."

I searched the area quickly, tasting the air for a warm lion-shaped patch. "There's a pretty big one four miles due east from here," I told him. "You better get there before it runs off. Its hunting something else. A…an elk, I think."

"Whoa," he said. "Thanks, Bella. I'll be right back." He sounded so sincere…and gorgeous.

As he darted away, I gazed after his retreating form. If only I could tell him just how much I loved him. How much it meant to me just to look at him. But I was too shy. And confused. And deathly worried.

What if he didn't like me in _that _sense? What if he loved someone else? What if he refused to accept me? A deep ache settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe. Just imagining him refusing me sent shivers of pain through my body.

But I knew I couldn't hold off my feelings for much longer. I knew Jasper (that empath!) was already suspicious of my feelings for Edward. It wasn't long before he figured it out, and since Edward was also a mind reader like me, he'd know the moment Jasper found out. Would it please him? Would it anger him? What he even _like _me?

Oh God. I really needed to talk to someone about this. Someone who could keep a secret from Edward.

I dropped to my knees beside the bear and resumed my meal, thinking about whom I could confide in safely without the fear of Edward finding out. The answer popped into my head without warning. Alice!

I left the carcass, thoughts about quenching my thirst already forgotten, and fumbled in my pocket for my cellphone. Quick, before Edward got back.

Alice picked up at the first ring, probably already having had a vision of me calling.

"Hey, Bella," she said wryly.

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, can we go shopping this afternoon? Please don't have another vision, but we really _really _need to talk."

EPOV

I barely noticed where I was going, Bella's breathtaking smile fixed in my eyes. Even when I closed them, I could still see her smiling…she was just too beautiful. She looked a goddess, straight down from heaven to save me from my lonely existence.

And I didn't love her like madness because of her looks. She was kind, polite, well-behaved and so sweet and compassionate, it was beyond belief. She was so selfless, it was incredible. She underestimated herself, and overestimated everyone, even normal petty humans. She was beautiful inside and out. She was too good to be true, but she was real and here in this town. We were friends and I was madly in love with her.

I wasn't surprised to find the lion exactly where Bella had told me it would be. It was one in a billion chance that she was ever wrong. I sprang right on its back, and my teeth pierced through its neck-vein before it could do anything more than roar in surprise. When I was done, I disposed of the bloodless carcass, and darted back to where my beloved Bella was standing. She was tucking her phone back into her pocket by the time I reached her.

"You didn't finish the bear," I noted.

She looked very distracted. "Oh, yeah. You can drain it if you like. It's too big for me to complete."

I laughed. Yes, the bear really was too big for her. Maybe I could call Emmett over. He loved grizzlies.

"Were you calling someone?" I asked, eyeing the bulge in her pocket where her phone was.

"Yeah," she said too quickly. "Alice. We're going shopping this afternoon."

"Again?" I laughed. "I thought you canceled this morning."

"Yeah, but she sounded so disappointed, I felt guilty," she admitted sheepishly. I grinned; she felt so much for everyone. Did she feel anything more than the affection a friend feels for a friend for me?

Strangely, she was avoiding meeting my eyes. I frowned a little, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"So..um, Edward, I've got some washing and cleaning to do at home," she said, smiling up at me. "Bye."

The last word broke my heart. She couldn't leave now. I just saw her. "Can I come over and help? I've got nothing else to do."

"You're done hunting?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Oh, alright then." We ran back to her house in comfortable silence. I could tell she was thinking very hard about something. Usually, when she was around me, she'd open up her mind. Realizing that she must be wanting some privacy today, I didn't pester her. Afterall, everyone deserved their own "me" times.

We chattered happily over schoolwork and other trivial things while we worked. She scrubbed out the dishes and the bathroom, while I started on the laundry and sorting out the fridge.

"Dad's a really messy guy," she complaining, grumbling. She looked adorable when she grumbled.

"I can see that," I laughed lightly, eyeing the chaos in the fridge. "I suppose we better attack this before hitting some other part of the house. This might take a while."

She sighed, and nodded in agreement. As it turned out, Charlie Swan was not the tidiest man on Earth. His meats and steaks were scattered everywhere, milk was dripping all over everything, and a horrid, acrid smell was coming off the fish.

"So that's where it was coming from," Bella realized, smiling. "I smelt it in the middle of the night yesterday. I thought it might be a dead rat or something."

I laughed loudly. I couldn't stop smiling or laughing when I was around her. The peace and happiness radiating off her was something no one could resist. No wonder Esme was always thinking about Bella; she was almost as obsessed about her as I was.

Even Rosalie (stiff-hearted, never-liking-anyone Rosalie) loved Bella. She was irresistible. All the boys at school drooled over her. Not that I blamed them for having a crush on the surreally beautiful girl I was in love with, still, some of their fantasies really got on my nerves.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell her how I felt about her.

I took a deep breath and turned slowly to face her. "Bella? I really need to talk to you."

She took one glance at my eyes, and her breathing quickened, her pulse racing. I wondered briefly if she understood what I was about to say. Just as I thought that, I realized my feelings were too intense, too deep to put into words. And the only way to express those feelings was to _show _her how I felt.

Now, this was very convenient: we were both mind-readers. Normally, she kept that ability locked up. So I needed her to open her mind and read mine. I prodded her shield lightly, mentally telling her to open up. She looked bewildered by obliged.

Slowly, patiently, very gently, I went through everything that happened. I relived the moments where I'd first seen her; the confused feelings I didn't recognize; the effect her voice had on me the first time; the second I realized I was in love with her; the joy of simply looking at her eyes…everything. I didn't keep a single thing from her, wanting to show her how deep, how powerful each emotion was.

The feeling of her knowing everything was strong. So strong I was surprised my breath wasn't knocked out of me. The overwhelming relief, the deep satisfaction, it was all so pleasurable, so powerful, it was staggering.

At the same time I opened my heart out to her, she did the same. I was stunned to realize that she loved me as intensely, as overwhelmingly as I did. Her passion, her love, her desires were every bit as powerful and strong as mine. She viewed me as a divine angel sent to chase her loneliness away, just as she was my goddess sent to give me a reason to live. She looked at me with so much love in her eyes; I felt I might be lost in the depth of her bottomless eyes.

I reached out to her and folded her gently in my arms. Joy like never before saturated every inch of my being, the pleasure of this simple gesture, this warm embrace ran so deep I was astounded. Very lightly, very carefully, I pressed my lips to her.

I felt as if I were on fire. I had never imagined an emotion as good, as intense as this. I had never realized happiness could feel so incredible. She responded with enthusiasm as overwhelming as mine, and the world melted away from our eyes. Nothing existed other than Bella, me and our love.

In that single instant, we became one. One single being, with each of us just being halves of the whole. We welded into one so powerfully, we both knew nothing in the Universe was strong enough to pry us apart. We melted into each other, knowing we could never survive if we were apart.

"Forever," I whispered in her lips.

"Evermore," she murmured, happiness coating every syllabus.

From far away, two starlings burst into song. Forever ever more…

**A/N: So, what do you think? Was it good enough? I did the best I could, as this is my first fanfic. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark.**


	5. Celebrations

**So, now Edward and Bella are 'together' together (like Jessica said in the movie) and all the Cullens are highly excited. Alice is bursting for a wedding, but Edward and Bella want to take more time and take things easily. I took the decorations of the interior of the house from New Moon. SM, please don't mind! **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 5: Celebrations

BPOV

No one was more pleased than Alice when I, blushing furiously, told her of Edward and my confessions. I could hear Rosalie and Esme's squeals of delight in the background.

"About time!" Alice told me. "Anyways, I gotta go now, lots to do now!"

And before I could ask she had to do, the line was cut off.

"Alice," Edward and I said at the same time and laughed.

"What does she have to do now?" I wondered.

Edward smirked. "Probably arranging a surprise party or something. You know how much she loves parties. And with Esme and Rosalie backing her up..you better be causious before entering the house, love."

I grinned. "I'll be sure to. Hey, I need to introduce you to Dad. He'd like to you."

Edward, to my utter surprise, looked a little nervous. "Are you sure? He…might not be as welcoming as you think."

"Scared?" I teased. He didn't reply. "Oh my god! Edward Mason Cullen is _scared _of meeting a _human! _Alice will love this when I tell her!" I tried to stop laughing.

"No you won't," he said wickedly. "I'll kidnap you before you can."

"Where will you keep me?" I challenged, grinning widely. "A deserted island?"

"Hmm," he said, pretending to think. A delighted look came into his eyes. "All alone in an empty island with you. Not a bad idea, love."

I smacked him lightly, still laughing. "Come on. Alice's waiting for us." We walked hand in hand to my ancient truck.

"I have to ask Emmett to crash a tree on this thing," I planned. "Then I can finally get rid of this slow metallic turtle." Edward laughed loudly.

"He'll love to do that," he told me.

He drove this time, one-handed. The other free hand was holding mine. I rolled the windows down and stared outside, examining the view outside. I'd never really noticed it before now. Everything was quiet and green. Even the trees were matted completely by soft green moss. I noticed, with a short laugh, that the rocks were in the same state.

"Forks is a lovely place to live in," I sighed. "Everything is so beautiful here. Even the people." I winked at him.

"Just one person," he winked back at me. I laughed and looked back outside.

I caught sight of a bear. As soon as it heard my roaring truck, it raced back into the foliage. I laughed.

"Are all animals so timid?" I asked Edward. "I mean, that bear must have been ten times my size."

"Animals instinctually know we're dangerous to them," Edward repled, his eyes on me. I panicked for a moment before remembering he didn't really need to look at the road.

"Is it the same way humans avoid you vamps?" I asked. "Then why do they come so close to me? I'm part vampire too."

"You're a mixture of humans and vampires," Edward explained. "You're made of the best parts of both the species. Humans are drawn to things like that, perfection, and so, naturally, they're automatically attracted to me."

"Which explains why all the boys are crushing on me," I complained.

His smiled widened. "I'm not exactly very comfortable with that, but yes. All the human males are crazy about you."

"But what about the girls?" I asked. "I never use my mind-reading thing at school. Too many people to handle."

"Girls think becoming your friend might encourage some boys to ask them out."

"Ugh." So I was nothing but a used toy to them. Well, it was natural. For them, anyway. Humans are always looking for things to use to attract attention to them.

Edward turned into the Cullen's drive then and I stared out the window again. "But Angela Weber isn't like that. She genuinely likes me."

"Yes," he agreed, a smile on his face. "She's very mature compared to the rest of the student body. But that Mike Newton.." I watched him in surprise as a low growl built in his chest.

"Why, what did Mike do?"

"Let's just say his thoughts around and about you aren't actually polite."

I shuddered, understanding. I quickly made up my mind to stay away from Mike afterwards. I was thinking about school and Angela, so when I looked outside again, I got a shock.

The entire Cullen mansion was decorated in tiny twinkling lights. Lights also shone from every window. A lone line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung for the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowers—pink roses—lined the wide stairs up to the front doors. A huge banner hung over the porch reading:

CONGRATULATION, EDWARD AND BELLA!

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie and Emmett stood right underneath the blazing banner. Each of their faces were glowing with happiness.

I blushed furiously, realizing that Alice had told them all about Edward and my 'conversation'. For the third time since coming to Forks, I reached out mentally and touched their minds.

_Oh, finally! Eddie boy has finally found his lover-girl! Woo! Lover-boy with lover-girl. _That was Emmett, of course.

_Ah! They look so happy. I'm so glad Edward finally found his true match. He's been alone for so long. And just look at him! I've never seen him so happy before in all these years I've known him. _Esme.

_Yes! This calls for a shopping trip! I better start looking for wedding dresses, though. Bella will look stunning in a pale pink—. _Alice. Duh.

Rosalie was so happy, her thoughts were beyond words. Although she and Edward were always fighting and arguing, both of them cared for each other a lot. Amongst all of them, Rose was the happiest to receive the news.

Jasper was as excited as Alice, but he was concentrating on keeping his enthusiasm under control or else everyone will be affected and things will go into chaos. I laughed lightly when I realized why his face looked like he was trying to do an impossible math sum mentally. Edward chuckled as well when he read Jasper's condition, and we both stepped out of the truck smiling widely.

The house looked stunning. I wondered how Alice had managed to do so much in the fifteen minutes it had taken for Edward and me to come here. But of course, she had had Rosalie and Emmett and everyone's else's help. Vampire speed and strength can really be very useful at times. Alice was beaming brighter than I'd ever seen her. Her smile was the largest.

"Bella!" she sang the moment I was out. "You are going to love the decorations inside! Come on!"

By now, Esme and everyone else were also standing by my side. I saw Jasper and Emmett clap Edward on the back and cheer "Congrats, bro!"

Esme gave me a quick hug. "Thank you, Bella. You made my son so happy, I don't know what to say. You've changed him into a completely different man."

"A better man," Carlisle added and pulled me into a hug too. "Thank you, Bella."

I blushed and looked down, embarrassed by the intense sincerity in their eyes and voice when they thanked me. I hadn't realized I'd made such a difference to Edward; he'd changed me entirely too. Before I met him, I was a moody, quiet girl who didn't have many friends and was always introverted. After meeting my mate, I was more open and friendly. Even Charlie had noticed the difference.

Alice took my hand quickly and towed me inside. I gasped when I saw what she'd done. She had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses..There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano, holding a staggering amount of presents. I was too surprised to speak.

"Wow, Alice," I breathed. "This is..so beautiful!"

"I know!" she grinned. "Rose helped with the roses. Jasper put up the banner, Esme wrapped the presents, and Carlisle and Emmett brought in the—"

"Alice! Not now!" Rosalie interrupted.

"Oh, right. I forgot," Alice stopped.

I frowned. "What are you keeping from me? Speak up or I'll telepath it out of you."

All of them grinned wickedly. Growling playfully, I prodded their minds. Alice was singing America's national anthem, Jasper was reciting some kind of Italian poem and Emmett was thinking about cleaning his jeep. Jasper was still concentrating on reigning in his excitement.

"Hmph!" I huffed.

The room exploded with laughter.

"PRESENTS TIME!" Alice announced loudly. Esme and Rosalie followed me eagerly as Alice towed me to the huge pile of gifts wrapped beautifully in papers of vibrant colors. I now noticed that each present had a Cullen's name tacked on it.

"Open mine first!" Alice insisted. "You'll love it!"

I giggled and searched through the boxes until I found the one labeled ALICE in bright pink. I tore through the wrapper and opened the light yellow box. I peered inside and gasped. She was right, I loved it! Alice grabbed the whole box and tugged me upstairs. I knew Edward was waiting down there for me, so I hurriedly changed and pranced downstairs.

Edward's eyes bugged out, his mouth fell slightly open. Rosalie clapped lightly and Esme smiled fondly as they all saw me dressed in a gown that hung down right to my toes. It was backless and I'd wrapped the white-gold necklace around my neck. Edward sighed and gazed at me with so much love I nearly melted.

I opened Emmett's present next. It was a ticket to a ranch in Tennessee which Emmett used to keep his pets.

"What pets?" I asked the huge muscle man.

He shrugged. "You know. Bears, crocs, snakes. Stuff."

I shuddered but thanked him all the same. Everyone roared with laughter at Jasper's present. He'd given me a hilarious book of jokes. I spent a full hour reading it out loud to the Cullens. It was very amusing and cheered me up enormously. Esme and Carlisle's box was the smallest, so it made me very curious. I opened it to find a set of keys. I looked up at Edward in confusion.

He took my hand and led me outside to the huge garage they used to keep all their fantastic cars in. I saw Esme beamed and sigh as he touched me. But what took up all of my attention was the present.

It was a gleaming bright red Ferrari. I'd seen a lot of cars in my life, each of them beautiful and exquisite. But this car surpassed all of them by the widest margin. It was sleek, glossy and looked extremely fast.

"Its got a high speed of 400 m/h," Emmett announced proudly. "This is _the _car, Bells."

I spun around and hugged Esme and Carlisle. I hadn't noticed the tears in my eyes.

"Oh, thank you so much!" I gushed happily. "But how did you know I wanted a new car?"

"Alice," they all said together and the tiny vampire in question giggled.

That day had to be the best day of my life. As afternoon reared on, I called up Charlie and told him to come over. He gaped open-mouthed at my presents and the mansion, and I got the chance to introduce him to Edward. I made it sound like Edward was just my boyfriend, because I didn't want Charlie to know that we were actually mates. That would definitely freak him out—I didn't need to be Alice to know that much.

Esme and Carlisle loved Charlie. They pored over fishing details (which Charlie enjoyed a lot) to keep him busy while Edward, Alice, Jasper and I sneaked out to go to a local disco. A wide space was automatically cleared in the dance floor when the name "Cullen" was announced, and we all danced. I, for one, enjoyed myself immensely.

I was delighted to find that Charlie had been so occupied with Esme's decorations and Carlisle's little anecdotes that he hadn't noticed my absence, thinking that I was chatting with Alice or Rosalie somewhere in the house. By now it was getting pretty late and we needed to go home. I was getting a little sleepy.

"Dad, come on," I said. "We should be getting home now."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot," he said, blinking and looking around. He was absorbed in the stories. "Well, Dr. Cullen. I'll see you around. Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. It was great, meeting you."

He said goodbye and got down to his cruiser. Edward and I walked over to the garage. My truck would remain with the Cullens; I'd be using my Ferrari from now on. He kissed me goodbye as I climbed in.

"I'll come over when your father's asleep," he promised, closing the door for me. I smiled and followed Charlie's police cruiser home. The car was great. It seemed to repond more to my touch than my actual commands. It went super-smooth and the ride felt amazing. I'd have to thank Carlisle and Esme again for this. It was incredibly generous of them to present me a _car. _

Edward climbed in my window at midnight and sang me to sleep. He was a wonderful singer. It seemed he could do everything. I dreamt of pink roses and red glossy cars all night. Overall, it was the best day of my life!

* * *

I woke up the next day extra early; I wanted to make Charlie breakfast. Edward, who'd stayed with me all night, helped with the food. He was disgusted by it.

"Ugh. How do humans stand to eat this stuff?" he asked, his wrinkled, and pointed at a piece of steak.

"Blood is as repulsive to them as their 'normal' food is to us," I told him mildly.

"Good point," he agreed. "But still. It smells like sour dirt."

I grinned. "You know the taste and smell of sour dirt? When did you taste it?"

"I did not!" he protested. "But still. Yuck."

Charlie woke up just in time for breakfast. Edward slipped outside and rang the bell a few minutes into the meal to pretend he'd just arrived and come to see me. I could tell he'd already planned out the whole day for both of us.

"Good morning, Chief Swan," he greeted dad formally.

"Hi, there, Edward!" I was surprised. Charlie was usually too sleepy in the mornings to be cheerful. "And go ahead and call me Charlie. What are you here for? Got a complaint?"

I rolled my eyes. Chief Swan was always Chief Swan.

"No, sir," Edward smiled politely. "My family was planning to play baseball this morning, and I wondered if Bellla would like to play."

I grinned. I loved baseball, but I remembered quickly that all the humans in town thought I was dreadfully clumsy. Would Charlie allowed me to go? Please, I really wanted to!

"Bella? Baseball?" Charlie roared with laughter. "She'll end up with the ball up her nose!"

Edward snickered. "Esme suggested she could watch."

"Oh, well then. That's fine with me," Charlie looked over at me with surprising tenderness in his eyes. He truly loved me like a daughter. "Would you like to go, Bells?"

I smiled. He was a wonderful father. "Yes, Dad. I'd love to. If that's okay with you, of course."

"Oh, go ahead and have fun," Charlie told me, smiling fondly. "But be back before dusk, alright?"

"Of course, sir," Edward replied. "I'll take care of her, don't worry." Charlie couldn't possibly doubt that—Edward's confidence rang in his every word.

It was raining outside.

_Could you make up a thunderstorm, love? _Edward asked me mentally. _We hit hard enough to make thunder sounds. People might be a little surprised. _

I nodded and did as he asked. Soon, blinding flash of lightening were brightening up the sky. Charlie whistled in surprise.

"Be careful, Bells, alright?" he called over the noise. I nodded and climbed into Edward's Volvo. I waved to my dad as he drove away from the house.

Edward gunned right out of town through a small road I hadn't noticed earlier. He parked the car in a clump of trees and got out. He opened my door for me and took my hand. He led me through the tall, wet ferns and draping moss, around a massive hemlock tree, and we were there, on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks. It was twice the size of any baseball stadium.

I could see the others; Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock a hundred yards away. Much farther out, Alice and Jasper were tossing around a ball, and Carlisle was marking bases. Could they really be that far apart?

"Bella!" Alice cheered when she saw me and darted to my side. "We're going to have so much fun!"

And we did. Edward, Jasper and Alice were on my team. Emmett, Esme and Carlisle were on the other. The game was heated and extremely fun. The moment the bat would hit the ball, an ear-piercing bang would echo across the forests, making the nearest trees shiver. I ran all over the field, trying to keep out of Emmett's way and avoiding Carlisle's powerful hits.

"STOP!" Alice shrieked in the middle of the game.

Edward had frozen, his wide eyes on me. I stiffened with surprise. What was wrong? Within a second, the Cullens had formed a tight protective circle around me.

"Edward?" I demanded, my heart racing. Obviously there was serious danger nearby.

Edward hesitated before answering: "The Volturi are here to come and get you. I doubt they'll let you live if you refuse them this fourth time. They aren't in the best mood right now."

**A/N: Hope this would be enough to keep you hooked for the next chapter! Please review and a goodnight to you all! **


	6. Reunion

**Okay, so until now, this is what happened: Edward and his family met a powerful half-human half-vampire hybrid. Edward fell in love with her and confessed. She was madly in love with him as well. The Cullens were delighted over their mating, and decided to hold a family baseball game to celebrate. In the middle of an exciting game, Alice had a vision of the Volturi coming to 'collect' Bella. Edward figures out that either she joins them or they kill her. Continued in this chapter…**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 6: Reunion

EPOV

Fury washed over me with such potency, it was incredible. I could distinctly hear the minds of the Volturi about three miles from where Bella and I stood, surrounded by our family. Each of them was determined to protect Bella or be destroyed in the process. Even Rosalie.

Emmett was eager for the fight, but I wasn't. I wanted to scoop my Bella up in my arms and run. Run so fast no mortal nor immortal eyes could see me. I wanted to hide her so far from _them _no one could ever find her.

But I fought against my instincts. I wrapped my arm around her warm waist, and pulled her close to me. She looked so terrified. Afterall, the last time they'd come for her, they'd tortured her enough to weaken a powerful immortal to the point of almost-death. She was still suffering from it.

"Bella, I won't let them _touch _you," I murmured in her ear. She lifted her face to mine, panic-stricken.

"They won't let me live this time," she sobbed on my shoulder. "They won't. I knew it—it's join or die. It's join or die, Edward…"

"Hush, Bella," I soothed her, while wild with worry myself. "Nothing could touch you. I won't let them come _near _you. Its alright. You're going to be fine."

She was trembling violently, and I was afraid she might pass out from fear. Of course she was terrified—she still remembered the agony they inflicted on her the last she refused them. Of course she did. I was surprised she was still standing.

I reached out as far as I could with my mind, searching for those hideous immortals who had come to take my Bella away from me.

"How many?" Emmett asked, his eyes bright and eager.

"Four," I replied shortly. "Aro, Heidi, Alec and…" I didn't say the last time, knowing it would frighten my Bella even more.

"And?" Emmett prompted. "Who else?"

I sighed, giving up. She'd know it eventually, anyway. "And…Jane."

Bella flinched, cringing away from the name. The pain, the sheer agony in her eyes was crystal clear. I could almost see the memories flashing in front of her eyes; the hurt was there, the torture just a few miles away from her. I hugged her tighter, refusing to ever let go.

Why did I ever bring her here? Why did I EVER suggest on this game? God, why?!

The minds were becoming very clear. Aro, the leader of the Volturi, was wringing in hands in excitement.

"Jane, darling," he called to the hideous vampire on his right. She was tiny, but the violence in her eyes was clear.

"Yes, Master?" she piped up.

"How much further?" Aro asked, feigning patient while he was _anything _but.

"Not much, Master," Jane replied, smiling up at Aro. Just the sight of her face threw me onto a raging fury. That little monster had hurt Bella; she had _tortured _Bella. She won't live to see the next sunrise; I would make sure of that.

No one would ever touch my Bella again.

Their run was fast, and within seconds, they were hesitating on the last fringe of trees separating the field from the forest. Aro, on the other hand, was literally writhing in anticipation.

_That immortal is mine! Her powers will be an excellent addition to the Guard! No one would dare stand against me if she stands by my side! Yes. Bella Cortes is mine for the taking. _

I briefly remembered Cortes was Bella's original surname before Charlie Swan adopted her.

Heidi, the 'fisher' who lured the humans for the Volturi to hunt on, was standing on Aro's left. Her mind was blank with surprise. Her eyes were fixed on Bella with shock beyond words. The mind wasn't shielded, but it was blank with shock and surprise, so powerful it was wordless.

Bella, on my side and clutching my hand tightly in her own, had suddenly loosened. Her eyes were wide and staring at Heidi with shock quickly melting into pure pleasure and love. I glanced down at her, confused.

"Bella?" I said uncertainly.

She didn't answer. Instead, her face lit up into a breathtaking smile, pure joy dominant in her face. It was so shockingly different from what she was feeling mere seconds ago, I couldn't do anything but stare at her, but she wasn't looking at me. She was staring at Heidi, mouthing "Heidi…"

My family was also staring at Belle in surprise. They were also greatly confused. Alice was dumfounded and speechless, something which I had never seen her in.

Suddenly, before I could do anything else, Bella broke away from me, sprinting straight toward Heidi, shouting, "HEIDI!"

Heidi, the brunette with the same color hair as my Bella and roughly the same height broke away from Aro as well, running toward Bella with a delighted smile on her face. Her mind was suddenly overwhelming with joy and relief. I had never been so confused before in all my existence.

To my utter shock (as well as the rest of my family and the remaining Volturi) Heidi and Bella stood inches from each other, their fingers interlocked, gazing into each other's eyes lovingly. Then, moments later, they grabbed each other and hugged. There was so much love and joy radiating from them, Jasper and I staggered forwards, attracted to them by the strength of their relief.

"Oh, Heidi!" Bella was saying. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Heidi was sobbing tearlessly. But she was sobbing out of joy. Her mind gave absolutely no explanation of why they were both rejoicing to see each other. I was still so confused.

"Bella?" I called to her.

She broke away from their embrace and looked at me with eyes glowing with happiness and joy.

"Edward, come over here!" she called, waving.

I noticed, from the corner of my eyes, that the Volturi were suddenly scared. Not scared, they were terrified. Petrified. None of their minds explained why, but Aro quickly issued the command to leave the country instantly, and he, Jane and Alec backed away swiftly from us, eyes wary with fear hundred times more powerful than what Bella was feeling seconds ago. I knew they wouldn't come back for Bella for at least a few decades.

As soon as they were gone, my family relaxed immesensly. Jasper was greatly relieved, but still very confused. What was going on with Heidi and Bella? Alice, Rosalie and Esme were as confused as I was, staring at the two of them smiling widely.

I darted to Bella's side, staring at Heidi. She looked startled, but pleased.

"Edward, this is Heidi!" Bella introduced, still smiling dazzlingly. "Heidi, this is my mate—Edward. Edward, Heidi is my sister. We are twins."

**A/N: Okay, so before I go on, I want to give a small history of how Heidi and Bella are sisters when one is a full vampire and one is half. You see, when Bella was tortured brutally by Jane on the Volturi's last visit, Heidi was with her. Heidi isn't gifted, so they didn't want her very much, but they wanted Bella a lot.**

**Heidi could see that they would kill Bella if she didn't join them, and she knew her sister would never agree to become Bella Volturi. See? So Heidi gave herself up to save Bella. Both of them are incredibly selfless and ready to die for each other. Their love is almost as powerful as the bond between Bella and Edward.**

**Aro was hesitant to take Heidi in Bella's place, but agreed. He really didn't want to kill Bella (at that time). And so Heidi joined the Volturi. But because she was half-human, it might pose a problem to the rest of his Guard. So he changed Heidi into a full vampire. That's why Heidi and Bella, though both with the same hair and height and features, became a full vamp while Bells remained the way she was. **

**Now, seeing her sister again after all these years, Heidi has no more wish to remain with the Volturi as she knows that the Cullens would never allow any harm to come to her sister. And now they're both happily reunited.**

**Now, back to the story:**

EPOV

After some strong confusion, I managed to convince the others that Heidi was not a threat to anyone. She really was Bella's sister. As she headed back to my family's house by the river on foot, Heidi mentally ran through the whole story which ended up with her being a full vampire. I was astounded by her love for her sister. It was very sweet.

Once we were home and comfortably seated, Heidi, Bella and I explained the whole thing to my family. Esme was even more delighted.

_Another daughter? This is the best day of my life! _she was thinking. Alice was still shocked, but the surprise was wearing off quickly into acceptance and pleasure. Rosalie was another story.

Bella and Heidi's beauty was far greater than Rosalie's and she knew it. She didn't mind Bella, considering her a beloved sister like Alice, but she wasn't sure about Heidi. She was torn between accepting Bella's sister and convincing herself that she was prettier than Heidi. It was very funny, and I fought to keep the grin off my face.

When we were done explaining, Esme came over and took Heidi's hand.

"Heidi, you won't believe how glad I am that you and Bella are back together again," she told her gratefully. "Bella seems so much happier and that, in turn, makes all of us happy. Thank you so much."

Heidi smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Address us all by our first names," Esme grinned. "And welcome to the family, Heidi Cullen."

Heidi gasped, surprised and pleased."Oh, thank you, Esme! Really? I'm part of the Cullens now? Oh God! This is wonderful! I now have both my sister and a new family! This is so wonderful! Bella! Can you believe this?"

Bella's smile was so beautiful I couldn't look away. Though Heidi was pretty in her own way, nothing in the world could compare to Bella in the world in my eyes. Bella was the icon of perfection, and now the icon was the happiest creature (besides me) in the world.

Everything was wonderful and perfect once more. Heidi moved into the house and took up our lifestyle and hunting-habits much more easily than Carlisle had anticipated. He was greatly surprised and pleased as well.

As it turned out, Alice and Heidi had the same intense need to shop all the time, so they became excellent friends as well, dragging a protesting Bella with their trips often. I accompanied them every time Bella was included, and often, we'd both escape away from them and visit a lovely little meadow we'd found in the forest. It was round and filled with flowers.

My life was perfect because the reason for my life, Bella, was happy. We were completely and entirely into love.


	7. Shopaholic

**Okay, updates will be slower from now on. My family is visiting Singapore and Malaysia for ten days, so it will be next to impossible for me to write a whole chapter and post it. Please don't mind.**

**Anyways, the story: so now Heidi and Bella, the long-lost sisters, are together. Edward and Bella are madly in love with each other, and Alice is going insane with her shopping trips with her new sisters Bella and Heidi and her old sister Rosalie. Rosalie has accepted Heidi into the family, but is still unsure of it. Heidi is doing her best to earn Rosalie's trust. This chapter will be about Alice, Bella, Rosalie and Heidi. Told from Heidi's point of view. **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 7: Shopaholic

Heidi POV

I loved Alice. She was so bouncy and energetic, and it was a constant wonder for me how she stuffed so much energy and excitement in that tiny body. It was also very touching to see how Jasper, the tall blond immortal who honestly scared me a little, was so tender and loving with her.

Emmett, the big bulky joke-y one, was more like a live teddy bear. He was always joking and teasing us girls, saying Alice and I had become "shopaholics" and soon we'd start buying the shops instead of the clothes in them.

Moreover, I was thrilled to meet Edward. It was stunning just how much he loved Bella. Every time he looked at her, his eyes would glow with passion, and their kisses were so sweet and cute. Bella was crazy about Edward. She was always talking about him—how nice he was, how caring he was, how protective and loving he was, etc, etc. I was delighted that she wasn't alone now; she now had someone to share her life with.

But Alice's sister, the runway-model type, Rosalie was another deal. I could tell she had accepted me into her family with some hesitation, but that was perfectly understandable. Afterall, her family (or _my _family, as I should now say) barely knew me, and had just adopted me into their coven. It was a delightful surprise, but Rosalie was unsure of me. She wasn't mean or nasty. She just…didn't talk with me much. I, however, kept on trying to befriend her and, if possible, someday earn her trust.

The one person I adored in the family (aside from my lovely twin, of course) was Esme. She was like the mother I barely remembered. I now understood why Bella had felt so sad when she'd first met Esme. She was just so motherly and kind and sweet. She was always fussing with her 'children', telling them to hunt in time, behave in school and all that. But more than that, she looked so much like Mother. Within weeks of joining the family, I was automatically calling her 'mum'. She was very pleased.

Carlisle, the kind and compassionate doctor, welcomed me with open arms. His resistance with blood was incredible. He was the one who showed me how to hunt animals without picking up human scents properly. (The first teacher was an excitable Emmett. That attempt had ended in a disaster, much to Bella's amusement.)

Esme and Bella arranged up a room for me in the roof of the beautiful Cullen Mansion. I loved it. It was painted in my favorite color, summer green, and, even though I didn't need one, a bed and an attached bathroom.

"You at least have to take a bath, Heid," Bella laughed, using my old nickname. It felt great to hear it again after all this time.

We also had to device a story for my unexpected addition to the Cullen clan for the town's sake. So, in the cover story, I was Esme's niece who had been living in Europe all this time and had rejoined the family now. According to the humans, (like Edward, Rosalie, Alice, Emmett and Jasper) I was also adopted.

For the first few days, everyone, the humans I mean, thought Edward and I would end up 'together' because they didn't know about Edward and Bella yet. To remove the sickening assumptions and rumors, Edward and Bella made their relationship public, walking into the school lunch room hand in hand and kissing in full view of everyone. The news was a little shocking, but everyone settled down quickly.

I also discovered, with much amusement, that Bella didn't like shopping. She was literally horrified by the idea of buying expensive clothes and shoes.

"NO, NO, NO!" she protested shrilly as Alice and I told her that she was to come with us in our shopping trip today. "I am _not _coming! No! Edward, help!" She looked at her mate in panic. Edward chuckled.

"Edward," Alice said, smiling evilly at her brother.

It seemed Alice was thinking of tying Bella up and forcing her if she didn't come.

"Will it help if I came?" he asked Bella. Her eyes widened and melted, all thoughts about shopping gone.

I impatiently cleared my throat. "Ahem. Bells, are you coming or not?"

She glanced up at Edward once more and gave in. "I don't really have a choice, do I? But I do have one condition. Edward's coming with me. I need the emotional support to survive this."

Edward chuckled and lifted her face up, kissing her tenderly. Alice sighed, looking exasperated. Rosalie, standing behind Alice giggled.

I cleared my throat again. "Now, if you two are done with your impersonation of two love-struck foolish love-birds, can we get going already? Alice, Rosalie and I have a huge amount of shopping to do, and Esme asked us to buy her a new pair of pink shoes. And Bells, I want to try out your Ferrari."

"No, that's my baby!" she said. I gave her my best puppy dog look, batting my lashes.

"Oh, fine!" she gave up with a huff. "But be _careful! _Esme and Carlisle gave it to me when Edward and I announced ourselves. Okay, let's get this over with," she added, grumbling. I giggled and followed behind her. Rosalie, as was usual when in my presence, didn't say anything.

Yelling, bye-s to Esme and everyone else left, we marched into the garage. Edward and Bella and Rosalie took the Volvo; Alice and I tried out my sister's favorite car. It was great. And fast too.

Alice was chattering the whole way to Seattle.

"So, I was thinking of buying a Porsche for myself, but Edward says if I did, I couldn't drive it around town," she complained to me.

I was horrified. "Buy a _Porsche _and not use it?! That's…an outrage!"

She sighed tragically. "I know, but I saw that he really means it. So I was thinking of something less conspicuous and getting Rose to boost it to proper speed. I don't want a bug like Bella's old truck."

"Of course not," I laughed. "I saw that. I think its older than me."

"Roughly, fifty years, so yes, it is," Alice teased, and we laughed. When we settled back down, I wondered if it would be okay to ask the question that had been bothering me for quite a while now.

Alice sighed. "Oh, Heidi. If you wanna ask, just ask. We don't do internal debates."

I guess she 'saw' what I was going to ask, so why hesitate? "Alice, why does Rosalie hate me?"

Alice, who was jumpy and bouncy just a little while ago, calmed down some. "You know Rose's story?"

"No, I asked Bella but she said it would be invading Rosalie's privacy to say something she hates so much."

Alice nodded. "Yes, Bella really respects everyone privacy. Okay, see, Rose was really pretty, even when she was human. She enjoyed the attention, but what she wanted more than anything was to mature, have kids, settle down in a nice house, and…live. But there was this one powerful family in the town where she lived, the Kings, whose son fell in love with her.

"They were due to be married, and all her dreams were about to come true. But just a few days before the wedding, she was returning home from a friend's, and she ran into her fiancée. He was with some other friends, and they were all drunk. They…"

I understood. Alice didn't need to finish. Oh, poor Rosalie. No wonder she was always so sad and tough. She had been hardened from and by life itself. And all she'd wanted was a nice family and settle down. Poor Rosalie.

I hadn't realized my hands were balled up into fists. "But she took revenge after she was turned, didn't she?"

"Of course, anyone would want to do that," Alice told me. "But Rose was remarkable. She didn't spill a drop of blood."

A long silence followed while I chewed over Alice's story. I realized just how perfect Rosalie and Emmett's match was. Rosalie was quiet and sensible, always thinking and staying out the way—Emmett was always fooling around, joking and laughing and teasing. They balanced each other out perfectly.

"But you didn't say why she hates me," I remembered my original question.

"She's really confused," Alice replied. "Welcoming _two _new members into the coven is a large duty, and both of you, Bella and you, arrived in the space of one month. And you know what a shock Bella gave us. She was just recovering from it when, bang, you arrived. And your arrival was even more shocking. Bella never told us she had a biological twin—she was too depressed by losing you."

I laughed. So what I had to do now was wait patiently for Rosalie to figure things out and settle down. I knew then she'd accept me more warmly and happily then.

I pulled into the mall's underground car-park, excitement building in me. Alice had retrieved her normal bouncy, excited self and was jumping all over me. Edward helped Bella out of his car and took her hand, Rose just behind them. I saw how gently Edward handled Bella, and my heart broke when I saw how fragile Bella had become. Even more so than humans. That Jane!

Bella's face was very disgruntled right now. "I'm never forgiving you for this, Heidi."

I giggled. "If there was anything to forgive, you would. Shopping isn't torture, Bella, its FUN!"

"You're sounding more like Alice every day," she grumbling.

Alice bounced us into the malls, grabbing everything in sight. Well, everything she could reach. When more than half the shop was empty, she started sorting through her choices. The pile of clothes she was going to take was a lot larger than the heap she was putting back. I followed suit with Rosalie while Bella just picked out a pair of jeans and plain T-shirt.

"Bella, those are horrid!" Alice exclaimed. "Try _this!" _

Bella's eyes grew incredibly big with shock when she saw Alice's choice. She gulped and looked up at Edward in a panic. Rose and I snickered. Edward chuckled and took her hand, leading her to a shop more to her liking.

Rosalie, Alice and I continued our shopping, darting from shop to shop while our bags began to bulge, threatening to burst from so much things in them. We moved on to the shoe-department. Alice hurriedly picked out all the best shoes and paid for them. She made out stacks for herself, Rose and me and handed us ours.

"Heidi?"

I spun around, startled. It was Rose and it was the first time she'd spoken directly to me. "Y-Yes, Rosalie?"

She looked down at her feet, obviously embarrassed. "Heidi, I'm really sorry for the way I've treated you all these days. I didn't mean to, but you and Bella gave us such a shock…I'm really sorry." She looked up at me again.

I smiled. "Rose, I don't blame you at all. Well, yes, at first I was seriously confused, but Alice told me about…and I realized that after all that you've been through, considering me and Bella is bound to be hard for you. It's alright. You're forgiven."

Rosalie really eased up after that, and everything was perfect. Bella and Edward had 'escaped' from our (well, mainly Alice's) clutches and disappeared to some private spot. We didn't want to disturb their *ahem* so we let them go. We all knew what they did there of course, but no one wanted to interrupt.

When the three of us got home, both of them weren't there. Afternoon wore on, but they still didn't return. Esme and Jasper began to fret. But Alice refused to 'look' for them.

"Edward made me promise," she told us.

Evening approached, and everyone was worried. But strangely, Alice was not. Emmett was itching to go out and track them down, but Alice stopped anything of that kind. We were all very confused.

"Alice, honey, please tell us what's going on," Esme pleaded. "They've been gone all day—no phone calls, no notes. I'm so worried."

"Sorry, mom, but Edward—" Alice began.

"Made you promise, I know!" I said impatiently. My sister was gone and I had no idea why or where. "Alice, please. Just see if they're alright, okay. Just that, nothing more."

Alice hesitated but agreed. Her eyes unfocused and glazed over. She smiled brilliantly. "They're perfectly alright. Just…busy."

I rolled my eyes. "Their _business _can't really take this long."

But before anything else could be done, we all heard the sounds of tires hitting the driveway. Everyone relaxed, recognizing Edward's Volvo. Esme gasped and sat back down on the couch.

"Oh, thank goodness," she breathed.

Alice was smiling widely. I could see her fighting to control her excitement. For what? Oh, how I wished I had Edward or Bella's ability to read minds! And they were _so _in trouble. They were gone all day, and I was worried half out of my mind.

As soon as the car stopped in front of the house, Alice shrieked and darted to them, hugging Bella tightly as soon as my sister was out of the car.

"Oh, Bella! This is so wonderful, so awesome, so perfect, so fun, so—" Alice squeaked happily, bouncing around. "Edward!" She sprang to his side and hugged him as well as we all watched in amazement.

Edward grinned. "Shush! You didn't tell everyone else, did you? It was supposed to be a surprise."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I know perfectly well how surprises work, and this is going to be so much fun! They'll be so surprise—"

"Alice, shush!" Bella grinned.

The three of them pranced up the stairs. The tiny pixie, my breathtaking sister, and Edward. Each of them was wearing some of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen. I glared at them as they entered through the doors.

"Bella?" I demanded. "Where the hell have you two been all day! Esme was worried sick, and I was frantic. And _Alice _wouldn't let us do anything! You have some explaining to do!" But I noticed just then that Bella's left hand was tucked out of sight in her pocket. My eyes narrowed—my sister never shoved her hand in a pocket. She didn't like it, so why was she doing it now?

Suddenly, everything fell into place. My eyes widened, a smile breaking across my face. Edward looked at me when I figured it out and smiled, silently pleading me not to say anything. I wanted to squeal and jump around like Alice had, the excitement bubbling in my chest, but I reined it in.

"Esme?" Bella said, smiling widely. Esme stood up, eyes anxious.

Bella took a deep breath and pulled her hand out of her pocket. On her left hand, on the third finger was a ring. A beautiful gold ring, gems of every kids embedded into its surface, webbed by a delicate framework of glittering white gold. On the crown, a large diamond was seated. It was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen.

A gasp rang across the room when the vampires saw the ring, a smile overtaking everyone's face.

Rosalie giggled and clapped her claps. Emmett laughed loudly, rocking the house. Jasper, his eyes wide, beamed at his brother. Carlisle was smiling widely, his face proud and delighted. And Esme…she looked as if she would cry from happiness.

In a flash, everyone was surrounding the engaged couple, congratulating them, thumping them on the back, smiling and praying for the best wishes. Edward's hand never left Bella, and she held mine with her free one. I had never been so happy before in my life.

My sister was engaged to the best possible man for her. Both of them were delighted and happy with and for each other. Everyone approved of it and everything was wondering.

But telling Charlie, Bella's adoptive father, was another matter. He'd grown to really like Edward, but as a son-in-law? I wasn't sure how he'd react when Bella will tell him. Alice 'saw' it, though and laughed.

"He'll turn purple," she told us when Bella asked. "Then blue, then green and then return to normal. He'll think for some time, ask Bella if she's pregnant, and then ask them if they're sure. He'll complain and grumble but agree."

As usual, Alice was right. Charlie threw a fit when he first heard, almost choked on his words. Then he became suspicious if Bella's pregnant, like Alice had predicted. But when he was reassured that wasn't the case, he grudgingly agreed.

The wedding was set for exactly a month from today, and Esme, Alice, Rosalie and I were given the responsibility of the decorations. We were all delighted with our task. Edward and Bella wanted to pick out my sister's wedding dress on their own, so we let them.

I had never seen Bella so happy before. She was smiling and beaming all the time, her hand never leaving Edward's. It seemed that they were glued to each other's side. It was the most perfect match I'd ever seen and they were both happy and excited with each other.

And I was delighted. My sister was happy and safe, what more could I want? Life was perfect.


	8. Wedding of the Flowers

**Yayy! Bella and Edward are going to be married!! This chapter (I had great fun writing this one!) is from Alice (our Darling Alice's) point of view. She's doing the decorations with Rosalie, Esme and Heidi's help. All are extremely excited, and we all know how Alice is when she's excited! **

**PS-The last part's BPOV. **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 8: Wedding of the Flowers

Alice POV

Oh God, I had never been so excited before in my life! Edward's wedding! Finally, he's got the girl he's been looking for. Oh, it had been so difficult for me to keep my mouth shut that night when he asked Bella to marry him. I could tell Heidi was going wild with worry, but he made me promise.

Anyways, back to the wedding. Bella wanted me, Heidi, Esme and Rosalie to get the decorations. I'd seen she'd throw a hissy fit if I did what I wanted to, so I had to constantly keep myself in check.

Esme and Heidi went out and brought back thousands of flowers. I insisted on the freesia and roses as Bella smelled that way to Edward and it would mean so much to both of them. Emmett helped with removing the furniture from the big room. That would be the chapel. I bought yards of red carpet for the aisle, but Heid said it had to be short. I obliged.

Rose was so happy and bubbly the whole time. Esme was very pleased. Both of them hummed and sang happily as they arranged the flowers over the walls and bits of the ceiling. Bella wasn't sure who had to minister. I got to choose that. Angela Weber, a very sweet kind girl, had a talented father who would do perfectly well.

Jasper was happy as well. All the bliss and excitement bouncing from us to him made him very smiley and pleased all the time. He happily helped me with the decorations.

It was ever so hard for me to control myself and not go overboard. I wanted a smash-up wedding with balloons and towering cakes, and grand aisles, and expensive benches. I envisioned a spectacular canopy for Edward to stand in and a perfectly lovely white-satin dress for Bella, completely with lace and frills and miles of train and a little veil which would be perfect. But Bella would freak out over such grandeur…

But still, what came out was so lovely and perfect and wonderful and glorious and…_Bella. _It was exactly the type of thing Bella would adore and remember for the rest of her life. And since Edward loved anything Bella liked, he'd find it perfect too.

But it was difficult to control Emmett as well. He smashed several benches together into a twisted lump of wood. Rose was furious.

"Emmett!" she screeched while Heidi doubled over with laughter. "Its Bella's wedding!! Oh, I'm going to kill you for this!"

Emmett snickered. "Rose, darlin', I'm already dead."

I'm sure, if Rosalie could have, she would've turned bright red with fury. I had to pry them apart from each other's necks several times that day. Though, moving Emmett was no easy task, but I had Heidi's help.

Heidi's a darling. She had every idea and plan that popped into my head. We even shared the same fashion taste. She picked out the satins and bows and helped Jasper clear the driveway. For some reason I couldn't figure out, Heidi was a little scared by Jasper. But I'd seen that she wouldn't answer if I asked her why. Jasper was very amused by how she always way whenever he was around.

Since we had a whole month to prepare for the wedding, I took things slow. Carlisle and Esme played around with Bella and Edward's clothes and their honeymoon while the rest of us (the to-be-married couple excluded) danced around the house, decorating every inch of every space with flowers, gossamer, ribbons and bows. By the end of the first week, the house looked stunning.

When the house was done, Heidi put Emmett in charge of keeping the flowers from withering (which he did, to Rose's surprise, with perfection) while the rest of us attacked the front lawn. Rose and Heidi, now the best of friends, mowed the grass close to the ground, while Esme and I picked out the path that leads to the porch. Carlisle helped us pave it with smooth stones. And I lined up the pathway with more flowers. This meant more responsibility for poor Emmett.

Heidi and I took a quick shopping trip to buy around fifty or so outdoor tables for the dance after the wedding and Jasper helped us carry the load home. I arranged chairs around them. Metal chairs with intricate carvings. Esme brought out the Japanese lanterns we'd used when Edward and Bella had confessed their feelings to each other, and Heidi placed on the tables. They glowed sweetly.

Carlisle and Jasper fixed up a flowery canopy above the spot and we girls arranged more flowers in it.

I wanted the whole decorations to be a surprise for both Edward and Bella, so I kept them busy and away. I gave them the responsibility of personally handing the invitations. Charlie had many friends all over the US and we also had to invite Renee, Charlie's ex-wife who doted on Bella. We also had to invite the Denalis, the Amazons, the English, the Indian and several other covens from across the world. So while the two travelled over the country, we worked happily on the house and surrounding area.

But before they left, I asked Bella to make it sunny on the day of their wedding. That would make the house even more beautiful and wonderful, but I told her not to make it _too _sunny, as it would bring out the sparkles in our skin. But the canopy shades would help and we have to keep in the shadows.

I found myself mentally comparing other weddings I'd done to this one.

Emmett and Rosalie had wanted not flowery ones. They wanted modern ones, with huge music systems, outdoor games, fast-paced dances and stuff like that. I'd done them with few or no flowers, dark colors and very little guests. The minister had been Carlisle (to Rose's delight) and Rose had walked down the aisle alone. Her dress had been pink, with a huge train, a long veil, with glitters and a lot of makeup. She had had high heels, expensive nail-polish and curls models would envy. They'd been married to each other around ten to fifteen times.

Carlisle and Esme had had intricate weddings with several flowers and simple décor. Esme's dress had been a pale blue, Carlisle's favorite color, with a moderate train and a veil just long enough to hide her pale face. They'd had only human doctors from the hospitals Carlisle had worked at and us. Their weddings were sweet and short and very quiet. There had been little dancing and very little excitement. Only love. They'd been married twice.

I'll leave out Jasper and my marriages.

But everyone wanted Edward's wedding to be a blast. He'd been alone for so long that Esme had thought he'd be unpaired forever. Even I, at one time, had had doubts. But now that he had finally found the girl of his dreams, I was going to do my best to make sure his wedding would be a marked time.

I wanted it to be delicate, soft and beautiful because that was the way Bella was. She was fragile and sweet and impossibly selfless. She was gorgeous beyond anyone's wildest dreams, beautiful enough to outstand Rosalie, and that's saying something. Even though Heidi was her twin and she'd been changed, Bella's beauty still outshone it. I wondered briefly how she'd look if she were turned. But Edward would never allow that to happen to her, so I couldn't even 'see'.

I'd seen the boys drooling over her at school, I'd noticed the people stare at her when she walked down the street, and I'd watch the men gape at her when she strolled through the malls with me. Everyone who saw her would, could, never forget her. And I intended to make sure she looked even more beautiful and stunning at her wedding.

I intended to use Rosalie, Heidi and Esme and make-up her into something exquisite and surreally beautiful, though her beauty could never be described with such a trite word as 'beautiful'.

When I explained what I wanted and intended to do to my sisters and mother, they were very excited. Jasper had to flee the house and reside in the forests for a few hours because he couldn't stand with so much excitement in the air reverberating from us. His run earned quite a few giggles and chuckled.

At last, at long last, everything was ready. The dance floor was ready, the chapel was ready, the canopies and flowers were ready, the aisle and the benches were ready, the guests were ready, Renee and Charlie were ready. Everything and everyone was ready.

I knew this wedding was going to be perfect.

I picked Bella up when she awoke for the last time in her room in Charlie's house. Her father had become very fond of me, and smiled sadly when he opened the door.

"Oh, hey, Alice," he said, her face forced into a cheerful expression. "Come to take my Bells away from me?"

I laughed lightly. "Yes, Charlie. Is she awake?"

"I'm here, Alice," my sister-to-be's voice came from the kitchen. I heard the sound of a plate being set down on the old table

I towed Bella into the car and drove away with a devastated Charlie waving sadly at us. Bella looked a little sad too.

"I don't know how he'll take care of himself," she fretted. "He can't cook one bit, he's always forgetting stuff, and he's going to be miserable without me."

I had a quick vision. "Yes," I admitted. "But he'll know you're happy and safe with us. He'll know you're going to be perfectly blissful wherever you are, and you're always going to be that way. That's going to give him some peace."

"Yes," and she relaxed slightly. I noticed her fingers fluttering rapidly, and the heavy clouds immediately thinned to allow a little sunshine to touch the gloomy town of Forks, half of which had been invited to the wedding.

"Is this alright?" Bella asked, indicating the weather she'd just manipulated.

"A bit more," I said, thoughtfully. And the clouds thinned further. "Perfect."

She grinned. I could feel the excitement building in her. As soon as we reached the driveway, I stopped the car and got out. Bella rolled her eyes; she knew she wasn't supposed to see the house and chapel now.

"You are NOT going to use your abilities!" I said sternly. "Please don't ruin this. I want you to have the full impact coming down the stairs."

She sighed and obliged, standing quietly (bowing slightly to adjust to my height) and held still while I tied the blindfold around her eyes. Then I guided her carefully through the drive to the house which was glowing with lights and sparkling with flowers.

She was immediately intrigued with the scents wafting in the air.

"Roses, freesia, orange blossoms," she said. "A few orchids...and oh, since when did you Cullens have a pond with lilies in the back yard?"

I laughed, happy. I towed her into the house and only took off the blindfold when she was seated in the low pink chair in my bathroom where I had the make-up and stuff ready. Heidi, Rose and Esme were already there waiting for us.

I snapped off the blindfold and she blinked to adjust her eyes.

"Now, you don't move or fuss," I warned. "We are about to attack your face."

Bella gulped.

* * *

She was ready. And beautiful beyond words. Renee burst into tears when she saw Bella, and Charlie could only gasp and gape. Her bridesmaids (Angela, Rosalie, Maid of Honor Heidi, and me) were all ready in our golden gowns as well.

Her dress was the icon of perfection on every sense possible. It was modern and ancient, beautiful and plain, exquisite and relaxing, all the same time. Everyone was going to remember this day for the rest of forever.

Tanya, a member of the Denali coven in Alaska, was the best musician and was playing Edward's piano, I heard the cue and handed Bella her bouquet. Her face was flushed with happiness. Charlie had her arm gripped tightly in his own.

Angela and Rose on one side, and Heidi and I on the other, the four of us pranced down the stairs. A gasp rose through the expectant guests as they saw Heidi, Rose and me. With a cheerful smile plastered across our face, we climbed down the stairs and walked down the aisle, each holding a fragrant bouquet.

Edward, looked very handsome, was standing exactly where I had imagined him, but he wasn't looking forward. His eyes were glued to the top of the stairs where Bella would appear. Tanya began the famous wedding march, surrounded by a flood of beautiful and exquisite pieces.

The audience craned its head and stared fixedly at the stairs. Excitement was a noticeable hum in the air, anticipation and expectation running sky high. Everyone was impatient to see the bride. And, at the peak of it appeared Bella.

Even though I'd seen her in the wedding dress both live and in my vision, it was still breathtaking. It seemed almost impossible that such a beautiful being could exist anywhere, let alone this small planet. Bella, I concluded, was a perfect example of nature's stunning magic.

I tore my eyes away from the magical fairy descending down the stairs with surreal grace, and looked at Edward for his reaction. I fought back a giggle. Edward looked stunned. His eyes were glowing with love and passion beyond words. I wondered briefly how Jasper felt about the emotions roiling through Edward.

As if he'd read my mind, Jasper looked at me and winked. I smiled wider.

Bella stepped off the staircase and the crowd was gaping at her. She walked beside Charlie who was looking both extremely pleased and also wordlessly devastated. After all, he'd had Bella for a daughter for only five years and now she was going to marry and leave him. Literally, forever, though he didn't know she was immortal.

I glanced at the other foreign covens in the rooms, and all were watching Bella with eyes glazed over, as if entranced by the almost painful beauty. I smiled even wider. Tonight, it seemed as if I'd outdone myself. I saw Rosalie wink at me and mouth "We've done a good job."

Good? No, this was beyond best. Esme looked as if she would burst into tears from the happiness of having Bella as a daughter. Edward was speechless.

Wait, let me rephrase that. Edward Cullen__was speechless. That's definitely saying _something. _

Bella looked enchanted when her eyes found Edward. I'd never seen so much love in anyone's eyes before. Even my visions hadn't told me this much. This was going to be the most perfect couple in the history of the world. No, in the history of the universe.

At long last, Bella reached the raised part of the floor where Carlisle and Edward were standing. Charlie gently lifted Bella's hand and put it in Edward's. Her face burst into such happiness, you'd think she just got the news that she'd inherited the world. Edward looked equally, if not more, happy.

Mr. Weber, the minister, began the wedding. Their vows were sweet and delicate and very emotional. I saw several women dabbing at their eyes, and men looked down to hide their own tears. And when the turn came to be named 'man-and-wide', my favorite brother's words rang strong and victorious.

"I do," he vowed. His words seemed to echo across the room with a powerful finality that said that he had everything he could ever want. That Bella was his after a hundred years' of waiting.

Bella's eyes were glistening, like Renee's. "I do," she whispered. Her words, though not loud and clear like Edward's, reached every ear with a silent confidence that spread the same feelings as Edward's.

Edward reached down to cradle Bella's face ever so gently and kissed her lightly. Every face in the room was smiling. A few were applauding. As soon as they broke away, the crowd burst into applause. They turned to face their friends and family with a proud smile.

Charlie and Renee were the first to hug and congratulate them. I hurried forward as well, eager to cheer and laugh with the other humans. And all the while, their hands and fingers remained interlocked. It was so cute!

"Bella!" I threw myself in her waiting arms, both of us laughing. Jasper thumped Edward and congratulated them.

"Oh, Alice, thank you so much!" Bella gushed. "This is the most perfect wedding—"

"With the most perfect bride," Edward finished, grinning at me. "Thank you, Alice. This is wonderful—"

"—And lovely beyond my wildest dreams," Bella added. "All these flowers—"

"—smell so amazing, everyone is delighted—"

"—including Charlie and Renee and Phil. Even the other vampires—"

"—love them so much! Really, Alice—"

"—this is the most perfect and beautiful wedding anyone ever had!"

I giggled. "Oh, will you two stop finished each other's sentences." Edward and my new sister looked at each other. It seemed they hadn't noticed they were completing what the other was going to say.

I laughed again. "Silly! Anyways, congrats! I'm glad you like it, though I knew you would. Esme and Rose and Heidi really made a difference."

Someone prodded me thickly in the back. I didn't have to turn around to see it was Emmett.

"Oh, get going already, the line's waiting to move!" he boomed, his smile wide and happy like always. "Hey, Bells! You look great! Congrats! Where's Rose? She's so happy for you two. Here you are!"

Rosalie bounced to Emmett's side and said, "Edward, Bella! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

Both of the newly-wed couple were beaming.

BPOV

We must have been congratulated at least a hundred times. It seemed the entire school and town was present. I was hugged so many times; I lost count after a while, my concentration on the hand Edward was still holding.

All the standard traditions were kept. I was blinded by flashbulbs as we held the knife over the spectacular cake, which we took turns shoving into each other's faces; Edward manfully swallowed his part while I watched in disbelief. I threw my bouquet with a typical skill right into Heidi's surprised hands. Emmett and Jasper howled with laughter as Edward removed my garter with his teeth and shot it right out of the window into Mike Newton's face.

And when the music started, Edward pulled me into his arms for the customary first dance; I went willing, happy to have him holding me. He did all the work, and I twirled effortlessly under the glow of the canopy of flowers and lights and the bright flashes of cameras.

"This is so beautiful," I said, gazing at the thousands of flowers.

"Alice really has outdone herself," Edward agreed. I saw Alice beam happily as she heard Edward's compliment.

After the first song, Charlie tapped on Edward's shoulder to dance with me. This time, I was steering. But Charlie seemed both delighted and depressed. I knew why. I'd only been his daughter for such a short while…

"You look great, Bells," he complimented.

I grinned. "Tell Alice that. She worked everything like magic."

"I can see that," Dad replied, his eyes roaming over the lights. "The Cullens are really rich, huh? You'll be happy here."

"Of course, Dad," I reassured him. "Edward is the only man I can ever look at. Except you and Carlisle and his brothers."

"He seems to be so happy."

"Of course he is. I am, too. See my smile?"

He laughed. "When will you be back from the honeymoon?"

"We're staying in Chicago for a week," I said. Edward and Jasper had rebuilt the place where Edward had grown up in his human years. "After we come back, the Cullens, and that's me as well now, are moving to Rochester."

"So soon?" Charlie looked devastated, but he accepted. "But you'll call me often, right?"

"Of course, Dad. I don't know how you'll survive without me; your cooking skills aren't exactly the best in the world, you know. You should call in some of your friends to help. Harry, from La Push, his daughter, Leah, she's a great chef, I heard. Call her to give you a few recipes. Or buy some—"

"Bells, relax! I survived on my own for fifteen years before you came alone," he reminded me.

"A miracle," I teased back.

It seemed like I danced with everyone. It was especially fun with Emmett. He was used to Rosalie's height, and often placed my feet on his to adjust my height. And when he moved so fast, I almost went fly. The guests were howling with laughter.

But I was happiest when Edward reclaimed me after several dances with Esme, Alice, Heidi and Rose. After the dances, I was introduced to the other covens. I was a little nervous, but with Jasper around, it didn't last very long.

The Amazon coven was all female vampires. Kachiri, Senna and Zafrina were three 'sisters' who lived and looked exactly alike. They had such enlarged features; they looked as if they'd been stretched. Zafrina was a very talented illusionist.

The Denali coven was also female. Irina, Kate and Tanya were all exquisitely beautiful and very friendly. They considered themselves part of the Cullen clan and welcomed me graciously as their new 'cousin'. I was very happy to meet them.

The Egyptian coven was equally comfortable. Those they weren't vegetarians, they were very welcoming. Amun, Kebi, Benjamin and Tia were smiling and laughing and warmly—not meaning their icy skin—congratulated us and invited us to come over whenever we wanted. I found Benjamin very interesting: he was an elementist. When I told them, whispering, about my ability to manipulate weather, he was interested as well. I decided to visit them with Edward one day and find out how to control my ability as it still slipped through sometimes.

After about an hour into the dancing and introductions, Alice claimed it was time we left for our honeymoon; our flight to Chicago was due in two hours. She dragged me away into the house and through to Heidi's new bedroom. Esme, Rose and my dearest sister were waiting there for me, along with Renee and Angela.

The six of them quickly had me out of my beautiful dress and into Alice's deep blue (Edward's favorite color on me) going-away ensemble. Esme pulled the pins out of my hair and let it fall loose down my back. Renee shed several tears when I bade her goodbye.

Edward was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. I took his outstretched hand but leaned away, my eyes scanning the huge crowd that was waiting to see us off.

"Dad?" I asked, my eyes searched.

"Over here," Edward murmured. He pulled me through the guests; they made a pathway for us. We found Charlie leaning awkwardly against the wall behind everyone else, looking a lot like he was hiding. The red rims around his eyes explained why.

"Oh, Dad!" I cried, I hugged him around the waist, tears streaming. He patted my back.

"There, now. You don't want to miss your flight."

"You'll take care of yourself, right? Promise?" I insisted.

"Yeah, sure. Call me, okay?"

"Every day," I promised, smiling a little.

"Go on, then," he said gruffly. "Don't want to be late."

The guests made another aisle for us. Edward pulled me close to his side as we made our escape. They cheered and clapped loudly when he kissed me again on the doorstep, then he rushed me to the car as the rice storm began.

The car, my own beloved Ferrari, was decorated with more flowers that trailed in streamers along its length, and long gossamer ribbons that were tied to a dozen shoes—designer shoes that looked brand new—dangling behind the bumper.

Edward shielded me from the rice while I climbed in, and then he was in and were speeding away as I waved out the window and called "I love you!" to the porch, where my families and friends waved back.

**So, now they're married! Yayy! The next chapter will be skipping through around six months, which means the Cullens will already have moved to Rochester (where they found Rosalie) and Edward and Bella would be back from their honeymoon (sorry, I don't do lemons.) Beware, because there is a surprise coming…**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark. **


	9. Insight

**Okay, so, as promised, this chapter begins like this: it has been six and a half months since Edward and Bella's wedding and the Cullens have moved to Rochester. Rosalie is very excited to see her old house (though it's in ruins now) and everyone is please with the town. Bella misses Forks, but the weekly calls from Charlie keep her connected. All in all, everyone's happy. **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND STILL OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER. **

Chapter 9: Insight

EPOV

"No, No, No!"

The shouts made me stiffen, almost freeze. In other times, I'd think it was merely Emmett annoying Heidi or Alice again, but this time, it was my Bella. I flashed out of the living room (smelling strongly of new paint) and darted into the kitchen where Bella was groaning at Heidi and Alice.

I leaned against a counter, now at ease, as I watched, grinning widely, Alice and Heidi attempt to convince Bella that shopping was fun. Poor Bella—she hated shopping, and her three sisters adored it. I muffled a laugh.

"Edward!" she pleaded. "Help me!"

_Oh, come on! Its just shopping. No one's going to eat you! _Alice thought. "Bella, come on! It'll be fun! And we're going to buy—"

"More clothes?" Bella demanded, cringing back and running for me. I pulled her close. "How much space do you have left in your wardrobe, Alice? Sooner or later, it'll explode and you'll lose all your precious clothes."

"Well…" Heidi hesitated. I laughed as I saw what she was thinking. Apparently, both Alice and Heidi had disposed of all their clothes.

Bella understood too. "No! Don't do this to me!"

I combed my brains, looking for a way for Bella to get out of this. I thoughts too quickly for Alice to form a coherent vision—she wasn't pleased. I selected one place in the world which Bella adored above Forks.

"Bella and I need some alone time," I said.

Heidi rolled her eyes. "Oh, you two."

"Fine," Alice grumbled. "But you won't be able to escape next time, Bella."

Bella gulped, a little scared by the light intimidating edge in my sister's voice. "Sure," she said weakly, panic screaming from her eyes. It was very amusing, watching how much she hated shopping contrasting wildly with Heidi and Alice's passion for it.

Alice and Bella's friendly sister, Heidi, left soon, taking a slightly annoyed Emmett with them. I laughed when I saw why he looked disgruntled—Alice preferred making him carry the bags. Bella grinned widely when I told her.

We walked out of the house, hand in hand, yelling byes to the others. I could tell Bella was confused on where we were going. I tried my best to hide my wide smile, but she saw through me, like she always did. It was almost like a sixth sense for us. I always knew everything connected with Bella, and she always knew everything connected to me. We were literally one.

"Edward, what's going on?" she asked, frowning the slightest bit from curiosity.

I couldn't help the smile anymore. "Somewhere special. Somewhere you love."

"Hmm," she said, thoughtfully. I could feel her scanning her mind for places she adored. "Forks? Or is it something _in _Forks?"

"Somewhere in Forks."

"The meadow?" she gasped, her eyes wide. "_Really? _Oh, thank you, Edward! We haven't been there for forever!"

"It's been half a year, actually," I told her, pulling her closer to me.

She laughed. I listened in wonder to the sound. For the millionth time, I wondered how such a beautiful, lovely, perfect sound could exist in a world so full of evil. And how could anyone want to harm my angel, the way Jane and the Volturi had? Was it even possible for anyone to be so completely heartless and selfish?

We didn't take Bella's car, nor mine. Both of us loved running. I, for one, enjoyed the sensation of intense speed. The sheer velocity of moving at a speed impossible for humans was a joy both of us loved immensely. Bella was very fast too. Faster than Emmett. But a lot slower than me.

My mood darkened considerably as I remembered the reason for that. Jane…

The pain, the torture…that was the only thing Bella had never opened her mind for me. I knew she knew that seeing the agony she had endured would drive me into a thirst for revenge that could only be quenched once Jane had been destroyed. And she didn't want me in danger. And, also, being apart from each other was a pain none of us wanted to experience—and to destroy Jane, I would have to go to Italy; a place I never wanted Bella a hundred miles around.

Both of us detested having secrets between us, but Bella considered it needed. But I wanted to know what she had endured. I wanted to share her pain, her torture. And since we would be completely alone today, it was the perfect time.

"Edward, you know what?" Bella said suddenly, as we sped through Rochester.

"What, love?" I asked, intrigued. Whenever she said this, she had something special in mind. And her special things were unique and wonderful and…perfect, like her. Like the time she'd decided to hold a sculpting contest between the two of us. I'd had had so much fun. Sculpting was something I'd never tried before.

And, wonder of wonders, her special things were always something I'd never done before. With her, I discovered a stunning long list of thing I'd never experienced for some reason. How she found them out was a wonder and an intriguing mystery for me.

She grinned, dazzling me. "Edward, have you ever been deep sea diving?"

My eyes widened. "Wow, you know what? I never have. You want to go now?"

"I heard the British Seabed has some really interesting aquatic life," she told me.

Excitement was bubbling inside me. "Perfect. We could have another honeymoon. Alice probably already knows. She'll tell the others. Come on!"

I took her hand lightly, making sure the pressure didn't hurt her. She was so fragile…Bella was delighted by my acceptance, something which confused me. How could I ever refuse anything she proposed? The only reason I hadn't set fire to myself yet was because now I had _her. _She was the reason I was still breathing.

Crossing New York City took a matter of minutes with our speed—we ran too fast for humans to notice anything more than the whoosh of the wind as we flashed past them. Soon, we were standing at the harbor, hidden in the shadows cast by the shops and buildings. Why couldn't it be cloudy today?

"Ready?" Bella whispered, while I lost myself in her eyes.

I blinked once to regain control of my body. "When you are."

She flashed a wide, excited smile, and then grabbed my hand, and raced headlong toward the water, taking me with her. We splashed into the warmth; the sea was hot enough today to heat the water to a perfect temperature. I heard Bella squeal with delight as we plunged right down, our breath held. I could go without air forever, but Bella needed oxygen. She could hold for around three or four hours, enough time to swim right across the ocean with our speed.

She wrenched away the shield around her mind, and said _Come on! The water's perfect today! _

I grinned. I loved her smile, and underwater, with the sunlight barely seeping into the depths, she looking exceptionally enchanting, even more than she usually did. She was the most perfect, beautiful, exquisite...where there enough appropriate words to describe her?

_Let's go! _I thought back to her, excitement building in me.

Bella was a superb swimmer. She flowed like the water itself, moving with the waves, making no ripples, no disturbance. In fact, from the surface, even if she were skimming over the top, no human could ever have been able to detect her presence unless she spoke.

We swim side by side, eyes never leaving each other. We continued going deeper and deeper, until the sunlight almost completely disappeared and both of us could feel the weight and pressure of so much water above it. It wasn't enough to make us stop. It was more like a cottony pillow on top of us.

About twenty minutes after diving into the sea, we reached the bed. The view was incredible. The coral was so colorful, and added with the thousands of fish and water-life swimming around it, was a wonderful sight.

_Wow! _Bella thought. _Did you see that fish, Edward? You did see the tail? It looked like an anchor! _

I grinned, amused, when I saw the thing she was describing. The tail looked incredibly like the metallic anchor humans used to crow their ships. And the pigments matched too, the patches of red looking like rust. I laughed.

_Nice, _I told her. _I wonder what it's called. _

Her eyebrows lifted in amazement, and her eyes widened. _You don't know? I thought Edward Cullen knew everything. Aha! I finally found one thing you don't know. Though I don't, either. _She added sheepishly.

I laughed. Well, I laughed mentally. Laughing underwater is a really interesting experience. Bella snickered when she heard the strange sound that escaped me when I laughed, and I smiled when I saw her amusement.

We explored the coral for a long time, running our hands over the rough texture, playing with the shy fish, and mostly just enjoying the sensation. Bella loved playing with the fish. Neither of us was as fast in swimming as we were on land while running. Our arms moved slower too, so the fish always escaped us. Bella found a really fast one, a tiny trout with miniature gills, and chased it around for a long time.

All the while, we were heading to the British Isles. I was eager to see what Bella had meant by 'exceptional aquatic life' there. I knew it must be beautiful, but I was having a hard time imagining an ocean bed better than this one. The American waters really were wonderful. And fun in a way I had never expected.

It took us two hours to reach Britain. Bella was getting uncomfortable without air, so we surfaced to supplement her oxygen storage.

"Phew!" she sighed as we broke through the surface. "That's a relief." Her face had a slight purplish tint to it, like she was choking.

I was wild with worry. Was she alright? Was the time without air too much for her? Was she getting better or declining? Oh, how could I ever have been so careless! Of course she was suffocating in there! She was half-human, for crying out loud! And she must have realized I was enjoying myself and didn't want to interrupt my fun. God, this girl's selflessly was going to be the end of her. Suddenly, I was disgusted at myself. I should have paid better attention to her.

I was at her side at fast as the water would allow me to.

"Bella!" I shouted. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes were slightly unfocused, and her breath came in gasps. Was she still suffocating? God, I should have asked Alice to look ahead before we ran off like that. I wished I had Carlisle around; he could have treated her easily. I found myself wishing I had had at least one doctor's degree.

Bella blinked rapidly, and cleared her throat. "I'm fine, Edward. Oh God! Edward, relax! You look like you're about to die! Come on, I'm fine! It was just the pressure—"

"I shouldn't have allowed you to do that," I muttered disgustedly. "Look what I almost did. You very nearly fainted. God, we should go back now. Come on, I'll hire a ship to go back to the US, or we could board a plane if you—"

"Edward, we're not going back," she said sternly, all traces of exhaustion and tire gone from her gorgeous face. "Don't ruin this, please. I had so much fun. Please, can we stay?"

I stared at her for a full minute, analyzing her face. Already the unhealthy color was fading fast from her skin. She looked perfectly fine to me. But was she faking it? I knew she was a good actress, but I also knew Bella and I could never lie to each other, even if we wanted to. She must be alright now if she said so.

"Ok, Bella," I allowed. "If you feel bad again, you must tell me. Carlisle had an English friend, a vampire called Alistair. He can help us if you—"

"I'm fine!" she insisted. She laughed happily. "Come on. We can book a hotel room for the night. I'm getting a little—" she yawned. "—a little sleepy."

I smiled. "Of course, love. Come on, but we're sticking to the surface for now. You need time to recover."

She rolled her eyes but agreed. We stayed clear of human civilization until we reached the harbor. I didn't even note the name of the place. We entered the nearest shop we saw (a small place Alice would never approve of) and got some clean, dry clothes. We also grabbed several sets of new clothes for our stay in England, and Bella picked out a nice quaint suitcase for the attire.

"Will you mind if we get into Alice's idea of a good hotel? I want a good bed for you to rest in," I said, knowing she didn't like expensive things, nor anyone spending anything on her. But this time, she agreed. I realized this was because she really needed a proper time to recover. We must have been underwater for longer than I had thought.

I quickly guided her to the most lavish hotel available in the city. Like before, I didn't bother with the name. I simply checked in, telling the concierge we were honeymooners (which was perfectly true).

_Both of them are so young! And the bride is really pretty. Whoa, their last name is Cullen. God, I heard about this family before. Stinking rich, yes they are. Better give them the best suite. _

I smiled when I heard his thoughts. At least we won't be disturbed, but his views of Bella annoyed me. How dare he call her 'pretty'?! She was a million times more than just mere beauty. But I was gracious. He quickly assigned three of his best men to lead me and Bella to the suite.

I ran my eyes quickly through it, approving of the luxurious furniture and carpets. They left quickly, and shut the door behind them. Bella swayed with sleep in my arms and I caught her before she could fall. She fell asleep right there. I smiled at her exquisite sleeping face and carried her to bed. I gently laid her there and watched her sleep, a quiet smile on my face.

* * *

In all my years, I had never quite seen a morning as bright as today. The birds seemed so loud, and the minds of the humans around me were happy and fresh. I could even hear a small five-year-old girl playing with her older brother in their suite.

_Yayy! I get the ball! _She was thinking. I smiled—I had always enjoyed listening to children. Their thoughts had always been pure and sincere, not complicated and twisted like other elders of their kind.

A tiny hummingbird barely the size of my smallest finger fluttered over to the window a few feet from the bed and knocked on the glass. Bella stirred and opened her eyes, her deep brown eyes' pupils contracting slightly to adjust to the brightness. Her eyes swept over the room, confused.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice husky from sleep.

I smiled at her. She must have been too tired last night. I should have taken better care of her. "Hotel, love."

"Oh, right, of course, sorry," she said. She was quiet for another minute before saying, "Oh, God! Of course, now I remember! The seabed!"

I smiled back at her. "How are you feeling now?"

"Perfect," she replied, grinning brightly. "Though I think I really need to hunt, with all these humans around. Forks really is a rather small town."

"Wonderful. I need to hunt, too. We'll go—"

"Though stars be dead and hearts be sore, our love shall last forevermore," she said, her eyes unfathomable.

I gazed back at her. She was so full of surprised. I had no idea she could make little verses like that. And this simple line said so much about us—our really shall outlive stars and other beings. We were both immortal, about to spend eternity as one and together.

"Exactly," I told her. "Our love shall last forevermore."

"So what are we waiting for?" she asked, her calm air gone to be replaced instantly by excitement. "What English animals are sweeter here?"

"I don't really know," I admitted. "But we could ask around, saying we're going hiking or something."

"Sure," she hopped off the bed and grabbed her clothing. I pulled mine on and waited outside the bathroom for her. I glanced out the window; it was a wonderful view outside. Almost as nice as with the coral and the fish underwater.

"I'm ready," Bella announced when she got out of the bathroom. I loved her pale blue dress. Blue was the perfect color for her—incredible, even in my human life, blue had been my favorite color.

"Let's go," I took her hand and led her outside, kissing her lightly before stepping into the lobby. The concierge's face brightened when he saw us: he was expecting a large tip and a few compliments about the suite he'd appointed us to.

"I hope you found your lodgings suitable?" he asked Bella hopefully.

His lustful thoughts around her triggered my temper, and I stepped in front of her subtly. She had been listening to his thoughts as well, and cringed into my shoulder. She wasn't used to mature adults being so lusty around her, it scared her some. I gritted my teeth.

"Yes, thank you," I replied icily. "I've been to places far better than this, so I don't suppose we'll be staying _here _for long. Anyways, thank _you _for the suite. We'll be checking out now."

_No, no, NO! You can't be leaving! _"May I ask what we did to displease you?" He was feeling nervous. Pretty nervous.

I wanted to say, "Oh, nothing. You were imagining yourself in love with my mate. That's all." But that would almost be confessing that I wasn't human, so I simply said, "I've got a better place in mind."

"Oh." _Damn! I can't believe the _Cullens _are leaving…Oh, dear God; my boss is going to murder me for this! But what did we do? _

I rolled my eyes and strode away from the man. It seemed I'd have to be really careful with having human males around Bella here in Britain. I could, of course, understand why and how much she appealed to them, but I'll just have to announce that she was _mine, _and I was hers. Inseparable. Forever.

"Edward, calm down," Bella insisted. I looked down at her, eyes wild with worry.

"If you want me to," I told her.

She caressed the rings around my darkened eyes. "You need to hunt."

I smiled. She was ever-caring and concerned about me. "Anything you want."

We strolled along the lanes and sidewalks, making sure to never let the sun touch my skin. Bella, on the other hand, had no problem with the sunshine at all. Her skin, rather than glistening and sparkling like mine, only glowed faintly. With perfect eyesight like mine, I could almost make out facets in the light like mine, but human eyes could never see that.

She walked through the crowds and sun, smiling brilliantly while I shuffled around in the shadows. She shot me apologizing glances every time I slipped into the dark.

_It's alright, Bella, _I told her mentally. _I don't really mind so much. _

Even though I lied with perfection, somehow the pretense never worked on her. We knew each other too thoroughly to see through another with perfect clarity. Bella snickered when she heard me.

_Of course not, _she teased sarcastically.

I smiled and shook my head. That girl…

She soon had a map and a whole list of local vampire-edible animals constructed into perfection in her head, which she showed me to repeatedly, so that I didn't feel left out. I smiled at her thoughtfulness. No wonder Heidi was always worrying about Bella—she was so…perfect.

I let her lead me into the road heading out of town, and we hailed a cab there.

"Where to, my friends?" the driver asked. He looked at me and Bella through the rearview mirror and his eyes widened. His heart rate increased rapidly. Yes, I always had had that affect on humans. I gave the location where Bella and I were 'hiking' and he nodded, his eyes lingering—to my fury—on Bella.

_Gosh, that's one gorgeous girl! _His thoughts were enough to make me see red. _Wonder what her name is...is she single? Gosh, she's American. Now, there's a worthy catch. Hmmm…_

I decided it was time to show this little human never to mess with my mate again. My voice was icy and hard when I spoke to him. I mentally enjoyed the fear and panic when he heard the menace in my tone.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I told him, smiling coldly. "And this is my wife, Bella Cullen. We're honeymooners here." I put enough emphasis on the word 'wife' to diminish his repulsive thoughts.

_Damn, they're together. Ah well. _"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," he said politely.

Bella decided to take matter on her own hands. "Thank you." Her voice was rock hard. The driver never looked away from the road after that short conversation. Bella giggled silently.

"That was hilarious!" she whispered, too low for human ears to hear.

"I enjoyed it too," I replied simply. "But if he so much as blinks at you, I'll annihilating him."

"Overprotective," she teased, and seemed pleased all the same.

The scared man was anxious to get us out of his car, so we arrived at the forests pretty quickly. Bella thanked him and handed him the money, then we strode off into the greenery. It was beautiful. But it seemed every place with Bella in it was beautified a thousand fold. She brightened everything and everyone around her.

The hunt was short and fun, like always with Bella. The prey here was much different than those in Forks or Rochester, so the blood tasted different too. Bella really began to like panther.

"They're better than deer," she told me. "They've got more fight in them. But I wish I could wrestle them like Emmett does. Just swooping them in the air and killing them seems…vicious and…almost slaughter."

Her sentences triggered my previous promise to learn about her endurance. I was one hundred percent sure that the moment I brought the subject up, her great mood would vanish to be replaced by sorrow and pain. I hated to cause her this, but I needed to know. Needed, not wanted. I wanted to share her experience, so I knew exactly how much to torture Jane before I murdered her. Though it wouldn't really count as murder, more like justice than anything else.

"Bella?" I began slowly.

"Yes?" she looked up from the carcass of the panther she'd just drained and stared at me with glorious, chocolate eyes that seemed almost too deep to be real. _She _was too perfect and beautiful and iconic to be real.

How to say it so I don't scare her too much? "Bella…you've told me a lot about…the Volturi's second visit—"

Bella flinched horribly, shuddering violently. She swayed a little, her knees bending as she began to fall to the ground. Lurching forward, I grabbed her body and stood her upright. She was still shivering. Her breath was ragged, her eyes wild and suddenly tired. She was panting.

"Bella!" I shouted. "Bella?"

She righted herself, still shivering slightly. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

"I'm sorry," I apologized. What was I thinking?! "I'm so sorry. I'll never bring it up agai—"

"No, Edward," she interrupted, her eyes terrified but determined. "You're right. You have a right to know. We're joined for eternity. Its agony, hiding this from you all the time, but you're perfectly right in wanting to know. Its only fair—you've shared every secret with me, I should do the same."

I was silent. But how could I want something that pains her so? "Bella, if you don't want to, you know I'll never force you."

She ignored me, and closed her eyes, taking a deep shuddering breath. "Here we go," she muttered quietly.

The forest around us became a little more silent, the wind stopped rushing so much, and the leaves' rustling quieted. It seemed Nature itself was waiting to see Bella's torture. I inhaled slowly too, and closed my eyes as well and tentatively reached out and brushed her mind.

**A/N: Okay, people. The parts from Bella's memories are from Bella's point of view and are given in italics. In between, you'll find some parts un-italic: that's Edward's POV, well mostly his reactions and thoughts about what he's seeing in Bella's memories. **

_I never saw a more beautiful day than today. Heidi is out hunting of course. For some reason I cannot understand, Daddy's lessons about never hurting humans never work on her. She likes hunting humans—even she is partly human herself. Yuck. _

_The wet rainforest around me is wonderful. I wander through the dense foliage, my hunting already finished. I don't want to hunt anymore—I just want to enjoy this most perfect of all days. The birds chirping above me make a lovely melody. I suddenly wish I could sing, but Dad never taught me that. Oh, how I wish he were with me right now!_

_Tears sting in my eyes as I remember his beautiful white face. He had the prettiest red hair, and his skin was icy, but he was so sweet. For the hundredth time, I wish I could remember Mom, but I can't. I've never seen her. Heidi has, but she doesn't know how to describe her to me. _

My heart broke as I felt the pain Bella had felt that horrid day while she remembered her father. The image was shrouded with love and care and so much worry. But through it all, he was staring at Bella with staggering tenderness in his eyes, a look that spoke of a great sacrifice and a terrible decision…

_I spring lightly onto a tree's branch, and look over the glorious view. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. We have to come here again someday, when no one here can remember or recognize us. _

_A faint rustling in the bushes near the bottom of my tree alert my senses. I know instinctively that it is not Heidi, so I reach out mentally and touch the being. _

My teeth clenched in fear and anticipation. The torture wasn't far off—I could almost feel it. Bella, on my side and clutching my arm tightly, whimpered silently. I caressed her cheek, soothing her. She knew she could stop at any moment and I wouldn't say a word about it, but she wanted me to hear this, to see this, to feel this. She was ever selfless, like always.

_A vampire, a full vampire. Holy crow, it has been so long since I have last met a real, full vampire! I must go and greet her, for this is a female. Her name's Jane, but I don't like the menacing edge to her thoughts. But still, courtesy was Daddy's strictest rule, so I jump off the branch and land almost right beside her._

_She isn't expecting that, but freezes she watched me. She smiles, and the look on her face immediately makes me retreat back into my own mind. I don't want to live in her head anymore; she's scary enough without having to add vicious thoughts to the pile. She is thinking about someone called Aro. Who might that be? Perhaps her mate, but she looks barely fourteen…_

"_Hello," I greet her shyly. "My name is Bella. Who are you?"_

_I know her name is Jane, but I want to know more about her. _

_She smiles a little again, and I retreat back further into my body. _

"_Hello, Bella Cortes, I'm Jane Volturi," she replies._

_I stiffen. The Volturi. Daddy had warned me that they might come to me someday for my abilities. He had explained their vicious ways and their hideous diet, their malicious intentions and things he'd rather never have me face. Of course he had been right. Now the Volturi have come to collect me. Well, I am never leaving. _

_She notes my defensive posture. "I see you have heard of my masters. Then you must also already know why Master Aro has sent me here. And what is your answer, Miss Cortes?"_

"_I refuse to join," I tell her curtly. "Leave me alone, and never return."_

_She frowns, her patience lessening. "This is a great honor, Miss Cortes. Very few are offered this greatness. Denying this might be your life's greatest mistakes."_

"_Kill me if you have to, but I'm never joining you or your foul ways."_

"_I'm saying this for the last time!" she thunders, her face ferocious. "Accept the offer, or suffer the consequences!"_

_I keep my mouth shut, my resolve unaltered. No matter how much she might hurt me, I'm never moving an inch out of the path my father had so painfully laid out for me and my sister. He lived on for seven years after Mom's death, just to make sure we had a safe and happy life. I'm not about to ruin that all. _

Bella's determination astounded me. I had never realized she was such a strong-willed girl. But I shuddered with pain as I realized the assault was soon to come headlong and hit my precious love. I was going to destroy Jane forever.

"_Answer me!" Jane screams. I remain deathly silent._

_Suddenly, her face broke out into an angelic smile._

_I was on fire. Every inch of my body hurt like white-hot knives piercing my skin everywhere. My mind blurred with pain, and I screamed out. Fire was burning me, hotter and painful than anything imaginable. I scream out once more, writhing on the ground, trying to cover myself in my shield, but the agony forces my concentration away. My fingers curl inwards painfully; my head is thrown back, my legs straightened. It hurts…it hurts more than I have dreamed. _

"_Jane!" I shout. Through the ferocious burn in my skin, I hear a wild laughter. She has a torturing gift, I realize then. _

_The fire gets hotter and hotter, burning me, scorching me; hurting…I have never imagined pain to surpass so many limits. If she doesn't stop this, I am going to die. My heart, beating painfully fast, already seems to get slower. _

_But, what is this? I can see Daddy's face. He is telling me: "Bells, when you're in pain, lock yourself down. Shut off all your senses, and drift…"_

_But how can I drift? How I shut down when pain beyond imaging rips through my skin, tearing it to shreds which can never but put together? I feel my inhuman strength crumbling as I struggle against the darkness which long to engulf me. I slip many times, but scramble back onto my iron grip, refusing to allow Heidi to live a lonely and desolate life without me._

_This is beyond agony. This almost equals the pain I felt when I saw Daddy burn. At least I know hurt worse than this. But even that pain didn't last for so long. _

_How long have I been screaming and writhing and shrieking in pain? How long has it been since I breathed a fresh whiff of air, since I saw Heidi's smiling face, since I had spent a single pain-free moment? How could anything hurt so much? I feel myself slipping away, and this time I know I cannot hold on. I am too weak. My strength is gone, my bones feel like rubber. I have to let go and die—this pain cannot be endured anymore._

_Thoughts of Heidi fill my mind, and the tears in my already-filled eyes spill over. Oh, poor Heidi, how is she going to survive without me? We had never been apart from each other. She will be crushed when she finds me dead here. No!_

_When she does find me here, Jane will almost certainly be waiting for her! And she will torture my sister as well! No! I cannot let that happen! Never! I redoubled my grip on life, and refused to slip and let go even once more. _

_Suddenly, the pain stops. I lay still on the ground, panting and covered in sweat. I lie there for who knows how long, my eyes closed, and my body perfectly still. I rest for almost a full day. When I open my eyes, it is morning. Two mornings from the time I saw Jane. And beside me is a letter from Heidi, addressed to me. Jane is nowhere to be seen. I am completely and utterly alone._

**A/N: And this is where Bella stops showing her memories to Edward. The letter explains where Heidi has gone and why. She asks Bella never to look for her, ever. The rest is in Edward's POV.**

**A/N: Okay, guys. I know this is a rather long chapter, but it was necessary. But beware, updates MIGHT be almost regular now, and the next chappy has a really big surprise in store!**

**Secrets of the Dark.**

**XOXO**


	10. Closecall

**Hey, everyone, I'm back! Singapore and Malaysia were awesome. I went to this place called Genting Island in Malay, and we entered this ride called Haunted Adventure. Gosh, I was scared to death…my mom and dad were pretty nervous too, and don't even get me started on my sister.**

**Anyways, **_**Living like a Star**_** is back on! And here's the story so far: Bella comes to Forks, Ed+Bella in love, the wedding's cool. And in the last chapter, Bella finally gave up the only secret she'd ever kept from Edward—she showed him how Jane had tortured her. The chapter ended just as the memories concluded. And now, the story continues…**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND **_**STILL**_** OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER ****(why does she have to own it? Why? Why…He he. Just kidding.)**

Chapter 10: Close-call

BPOV

Both of us were silent as my memories ended and my shield automatically snapped back into position. I was scared to look at Edward, to see his reaction. His anger had been the only reason I hadn't shown him this memory. I forced my eyes to keep locked on the leaves under my feet, but they were itching to rise and stare at Edward.

I could feel him shaking in anger. I heard him clench his teeth shut, and fist his hands tightly. I knew instinctively that his eyes were still closed, but this time, it was an effort to control his fury. He had stopped breathing as well, but his shaking and trembling hadn't stopped yet.

I knew he was in pain too. My pain was his pain as well, that was something very difficult for me to accept. He didn't deserve any pain, not the slightest hint of it. And everything that hurt him stabbed me deeply as well. The agony of his hurt was worse than the torture Jane had inflicted on me, the one that had separated me from my beloved sister. Seeing me being tortured had been worse on him than I had imagined; by opening my mind to him, I had also had had to read his; it wasn't something that I could control. And I had watched his every reaction.

At the beginning, when I showed him the beginning of the day, he was clam, his mood lighted and pleasant. His love for me was shown in every breath he took, and I suppose my love showed just as clearly too. His quiet sadness when I had recounted my feelings for my obliterated father had been touching beyond belief. I had almost lost control and kissed him deeply right then. No doubt he had been amused by it.

But I had recoiled from his intense and nearly overwhelming fury when I had seen Jane for the first time. His feelings had mingled into an intensity beyond anything I had ever experienced my entire life, an incredible mix of fury, pain and sadness. His sorrow at my agony had been something far, far worse than Jane's infliction. Watching him hurt was something I could never bear to watch or feel, and this time, impossibly, it was worse. Because this time, I was the one causing him pain.

But he had wanted to know, and I could never deny him anything, even if that were something which might cause me feelings nearly unendurable. He had understood this the moment I had cringed away from his question, and, of course, he had given me free will: I could choose to show him this or not. Anything I wanted. But then I realized that I hated, detested, recoiled from the very thought of hiding something from him. And that was a feeling I never desired to experience. So I had opened my mind, and watched him react.

But now I realized I shouldn't have succumbed to my own will so easily. I should have fought harder against myself, and took his offer and not opened up this experience to him, one that had caused him so much pain. I felt horribly guilty and selfish; how could I ever have hurt him so?

"I'm sorry, Edward," I said, my sincerity showing in every word. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry…" I wrenched my eyes away from the forest-floor, and looked at his glorious golden eyes. They were twisted with horror and terrible fury at first, but as soon as I spoke, they softened. Love burned in them, ferocious and overwhelming.

But his voice was still rough with anger. "Its okay, love. I'm alright. But I had no idea you have so suffered so much. I guessed, but not to this intensity. That JANE!" His voice became a wild roar. "I'm to KILL her to touching you! She's going to regret she ever laid her pathetic, accursed eyes on you!"

I quickly grabbed his arm to steady him. My touch worked, his eyes softened once more and were calm and serene again.

"Never say that," I said severely. "You're never going anywhere _near _Jane. I'll tie you up if you so much as think about it. I'm not letting you go anywhere a hundred miles of Volterra. That place is off-limits to you, forever. You understand, Edward Cullen? You're banned from there."

He smiled. "Anything you want. But Bella, she _hurt _you. She _tortured _you for a full day! She separated you from Heidi! _She tortured you, Bella! _Don't you want to take revenge? Don't you want to avenge all those years she kept you away from your own sister?"

"No one wants that more than me," I replied quietly, my eyes swimming with tears. "No one knows how much those years agonized me. Of course I want to hurt her, Edward. Of course I do. It's in my nature, yours and mine! But I know that the moment I enter Italy will be my last. The Volturi are too powerful, Edward, and you know that. Even our family can't stand up to them! It's far too dangerous, and it's a serious risk I never want you to take. If you…if you're taken from me, I'd never survive. Do you want that? Do you want me to die?"

He inhaled sharply and flinched violently away from the idea. His face twisted in a mask of pain and torture.

"Exactly," I reasoned with him. "I'd feel the same you would if I was killed, and you told me several times you never want me hurt. So, please, for my sake, stay away from them. For as long as we both shall walk the Earth. Please, don't make me lose the one person who means more than my life to me. Please, don't do that to me. Please…"

My voice broke, and my tears spilled out, flooding my cheeks at the very thought of a life without Edward. No, I could never survive that much pain. It would be beyond impossible.

His cool finger touched my chin and tilted my head up, wiping away the tears. His face was sad and regretfully now.

"I'm sorry; I never meant to hurt you. If you don't want me to, I won't touch Jane. I'll do anything for you, Bella. Anything you want. You know I would never do anything that might inflict the slightest amount of pain on you. You know that. But it was just that...she hurt you so much. And not even once! Twice! First, she used her cursed and hideous gift on you, and then she took your sister away from you. It was really hard for me to stand here and watch you suffer. But if you don't want revenge, I'll never do that. You are my first priority; your happiness and safety are the two most important things in my world."

"I love you, too," I whispered, my fears and concerns gone with his velvet voice. I reached up and stroked his hair, smiling. "Thank you."

* * *

Edward, it seemed, loved the underwater dive I'd taken him for. If only I hadn't needed to breathe, we could've stayed there for much longer. But this time, I was determined to spend more hours under the sea. I told him so. At first, as expected, he was deathly worried about me, but I managed to convince I'd be fine and that I'd tell him the moment I felt bad, he agreed.

I was careful to make sure the weather was bright but very cloudy the day we planned to go for our second dive. I'd dived deep under the oceans a lot of times with Dad and Heidi when I was a kid, so I was used to the amazing sensations in aqua life. Edward was overjoyed and beside himself with excitement when we finally reached the seabed. We didn't find coral this time; we found an ancient ship wreck.

Since we couldn't talk underwater, I kept my shield away from me and Edward and I had frequent mental conversations. I always noticed that his mood was brighter and happier when I had my shield off. But it took a lot of energy to keep it away…

_This place is amazing! _He told me, swimmingly with incredible grace through the rusted and broken ship. _I wonder when it sank. Must be at least a hundred years; every inch of this is rusted enough to last a lifetime. Human lifetime, of course. By the time we're ancients, this would be gone._

I laughed. _How ancient is 'ancient' in vampire standards?_

He hesitated slightly before replying, and his answer told me why he was reluctant. _Aro and Caius are both a millennium old. Marcus is slightly younger than that. Of course, we have vampires a lot older than that, but I don't know of any._

The very mention of the Volturi leaders broke shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the icy water. I knew it felt warm to Edward, due to his chilly temperature, but I was always overheated, so even boiling water felt cold to me. Everything was freezing and icy when it came to me. Edward looked ashamed he had mentioned the beings I was so afraid of.

He glided over to me swiftly and wrapped his arms around my body, his smile sad. _I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. Are you alright, love?_

I kissed him lightly to show him I was fine. I was always fine when I was around him—well, more than fine; I was always glowing with him.

We explored the old wreck for a few more hours, before I felt my oxygen supply depleting. I told Edward, and he hurried up upwards toward the surface. I took a huge gulp of air when we broke through the water-skin, and felt a lot better at once. I smiled at his worried expression and he eased up. We flowed along with the current, sweeping us toward the beach. I glanced up at the sky, my fingers moving rapidly with lightening precision as I quickly created some thick clouds and covered the sun, so that Edward didn't start sparkling.

I loved it always when the sunlight hit his skin, and made it glistening and glow like millions of diamonds embedded into his skin. He always looked stunningly, a beauty beyond describe, like Adonis sent from heaven to Earth to love and take care of me. No matter how much he said he loved me, I never felt worthy of him, But I was always pleased he's chosen me from immortals who deserved him a thousand times more than me. But I never told him that; it might upset him.

As much as I would have loved to see him sparkling right now, I knew it was too dangerous and it would reveal to the human's crowded beach that Edward wasn't human. Also, I glowed, too. Not brilliantly and breathtakingly like Edward, but it was enough to attract a lot of unwanted attention.

But of course, vampires and hybrids have attractive features to lure humans, their prey, to them, so every eye in the beach turned to stare at me and Edward when we stepped out of the water and into the beach.

The women watched Edward with lustful, anticipating eyes, and I bit my lip hard to stop a threatening growl that was ready to rip out of me. Edward hardly seemed to notice the wistful glances women threw at him. The men stared at me. I cringed into Edward when I heard some of their thoughts (incredibly repulsive, most of them were) and his arms tightened around me. He glared at the most disgusting ones and the humans immediately retreated from him.

_Holy crap, that's one hot girl! _One guy was thinking. I whimpered as he started, er, fantasizing. Edward turned to look at him, his eyes black with fury, distaste and anger plain on his features. The man didn't notice him at first, but when he did, his pulse raced and he quickly strode away us. I sighed in relief; humans can be so disgusting sometimes.

I smiled my thanks and gratitude at Edward and he nodded. We made our way back to the hotel, my energy refilled. We walked this time, not wanting to waste the beautiful scenery around us and take a cab. England truly was a beautiful country. We wandered through the tiny hills we saw, the warm air drying our clothes and us in them. Edward found the sweetest little antique shop, and we rummaged around in it, looking for presents for our beloved family. I bought an enormous fishing line for Charlie, and Edward offered to have to air-delivered to him when we returned to Rochester.

The day was beyond perfect. We had emerged out of the water at around two at noon, so we still had most of the day left before us. We strolled through the malls and tiny shops, not buying anything, looking at the strange things just for fun. But more entertaining than the objects were the Britons, the people themselves. Edward and I found their accent and pronunciation hilarious, and the people we met in turn found ours very amusing.

I had never interacted with humans for longer than a few hours at most. Even with Charlie, I had never been truly at ease. During the first seven years of my life, while I constantly changed and grew and matured, Dad hadn't mingled us with humans much. Though humans were instinctively attracted to me, I was never allured by them. Humans made me a little uneasy, for some reason, and until I'd met the Cullens, I had though vampires had the same problem.

I was shocked at how easy and friendly Edward was with these fragile creatures. Though he could easily break their bone with his smallest finger, and he wasn't human (in the delicate, blood-filled, soft sense), he acted just like them when he conversed with them. Though I could tell that they kept their distance from him, they weren't uncomfortable. I was amazed and surprised at how at ease Edward was. I just couldn't figure it out.

I asked him when we were heading back to our new hotel late that night.

"Haven't you been around humans much?" he asked, a little surprised.

"No, not really," I admitted. "How come I'm so uncomfortable with them when I'm half-human, while you're so easy with them when you're not even quarter-human?"

"Practice, love, practice."

"You have to practice being close to humans?"

He smiled. "Both of us are dedicated to saving human lives. Shouldn't we be comfortable around the very ones we're trying to keep safe?"

I'd never thought of it that way. "Good point."

When we exited the mall, Edward's phone buzzed quietly. I knew it was probably one of the Cullens, so I didn't watch as he reached into his pocket and fished the tiny silvery thing out. I did notice him frown when he read who was calling, and that triggered my attention. I had thought it might be Emmett with a prank call or something, but I had never imagined it be Alice.

"Alice, is everything alright?" Edward asked, his voice worried. I listened closely, suddenly anxious about my family.

"Edward, you and Bella need to leave NOW!" Alice screamed in the phone.

"Why? What happened? What did you see?" Edward demanded, speaking extremely fast. No human could ever have understood him if they'd heard him right now.

"The Volturi heard of your arrival in UK," Alice replied hurriedly. "You need to leave. Jane and Alec are with them, and Aro's coming too. They're almost there. Please, hurry and come back."

"Alright." Edward snapped the phone shut and grabbed my hand, his eyes wild with anxiety. "You heard that?" he asked me quietly, struggling to keep calm for the humans who still walked by and around us. I nodded, my fear constricting my throat, making it impossible to speak.

He tightened his grip on my hand and we both jogged out of the mall, keeping a human pace. When we were out of sight or hearing of anyone human, we really sped up. The world around us blurred with incredible speed as we ran faster and faster, gaining speed with each minute that pass. I hadn't realized we had walked so deep into England today.

We ran for who knows how long. After an hour of running, I began to pant, struggling to keep breathing. Edward, being a full vampire who didn't need air, didn't have much need for oxygen, but stopped the moment he heard my breaths harden.

I bent down, resting my hands on my knees, breathing hard and fast. Edward soothed me, murmuring. After resting for a few minutes, Edward ran while I rode on his back. This was very restful, and before I knew it, I was asleep. I didn't dream of anything; I just slept. When I woke up, I was in a bed, Edward lying beside me, stroking my hair, his expression worried but calm.

"Where are we?" I asked groggily. "The Volturi! Where are they?"

"Calm down, Bella," Edward soothed me, laying his cool hand on my cheek. I was relaxed immediately. How did he always have that effect on me?

"We're in a hotel," Edward replied. "We're still in the UK, but the Volturi seem to have given up. We were both too fast for them. You fell asleep, love, and I carried you here. Alice called when we arrived here; they're giving up. I guess by now, they're all back to Italy. You can relax, love, everything is alright."

I sunk back in the pillows, my fists relaxing when he told me everything was fine. But I still couldn't believe we'd just outrun the Volturi! Holy, how did we ever do that? I knew we'd run fast, really fast, but fast enough to beat the Vampire Royal Family? Holy crow!

"We're leaving for home today, aren't we?" I guessed.

"Yes, our flight leaves in an hour," Edward told me, getting up from bed. "Get ready, love. The airport's a long way from here, and with the speed limits, it'll take a while to reach there."

I laughed. Edward loved driving exceedingly fast, but the law here was alert and strict and most breakers were jailed for a night and a day for speeding. How knew when the Volturi might decide to pursue us again, and a prison cell wasn't exactly the best place for a severe confrontation like that. I knew Edward wouldn't be able to control his rage if he saw Jane right before his eyes, and that might end in a fight.

I gulped, banishing the image from my head and I tugged on my T-shirt and shimmied into my new jeans. I knew if Heidi or Alice were here, they'd never approve of my outfit, but now wasn't the time for fashion, this was a time for speed—vampire speed. Edward was ready by the time I came out from the bathroom. We took the lift (like normal, boring humans) to the lobby and checked out. I didn't even bother looking around at the expensive hotel. All I wanted was to get Edward safely home to the Cullens. And since that would obviously involve me, we'd both be perfectly fine.

"I think it's better if we run again," I suggested as we left the hotel, leaving our luggage behind. "It's faster than a cab, and we don't have our own car here."

Edward nodded his agreement, too worried to reply verbally. We ran hand-in-hand again. This time, I didn't tire out like yesterday. I'd just had had a long sleep and was fully rested and pumped full of energy. Without having to worry about speed limits, we arrived at the airport forty-five minutes early. Edward quickly bought our tickets and brought some lights snacks for me, since I couldn't hunt here.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, as I dug into the burger. Human food was good. Slightly slimy and cold all the time, but good. Nowhere near as perfect as blood, but if I were desperate, I could _eat _instead of drink.

Edward and I remained in our seats while we waited for our flight to arrive at the runway. Time passed slowly, as I had expected. Time whizzed rapidly when I'm happy and with Edward, but when I'm bored, that stupid clock just doesn't move! It was frustrating me to no end. I was constantly fidgeting and checking my watch, waiting for the damn time to move on.

"Oh, this is taking forever!" I groaned, throwing back my head. "The plane's never getting here."

Edward chuckled. "We have forever."

I smiled back at him. How did he always manage to cheer me up no matter what my mood? Was he an empath, like Jasper? Because the way he always calmed me down and made me relax sometimes seriously made me suspicious about if he had another ability except mindreading, like Jasper's mood-measurement and mood-manipulation. A lot of 'm'-s, I know.

"I know a way of passing the time," Edward said suddenly, surprising me.

But I was eager; his ideas were always interesting. "Okay, I'll bite."

He laughed. Talking about biting to vampires…

"Tell me about your life before you met me," he said. "We've talked a lot about my past, but we've hardly ever discussed yours. I'm curious."

I smiled. My life. Possibly the most boring story in history, but he wanted to know, and I could never refuse him anything, even if I wanted to, which I couldn't. Gosh, I was totally captivated by him, and it felt so good. He was mine, and I was his. Forever evermore.

"Okay," I began. "As you know, Mom and Dad got married when they fell in love, a lot like you and me, except that mom was human. In their honeymoon, mom conceived me and Heid, but they had had no idea hybrids like even existed. From what I heard from Dad afterwards, her pregnancy lasted only a month. The birth was violent. Heidi and I.." I still remembered that day clearly. I'd hurt the very mother I'd adored. "We tore our way through her womb…"

"Being only human, mom died. I don't remember ever seeing her, but Heidi does. Dad was shattered, crushed, utterly devastated by mom's passing away. He wanted to follow her onto heaven or hell or whatever there is after this life, but he loved us so much. So he cared for us until we matured completely at age seven. Then he committed suicide. But before that, he taught us everything. Before…dying, he told us why he was about to do what he was about to do. He looked so heartbroken, we couldn't refuse.

"Heidi and I wandered through woods and forests for five years after he…left. It was agony, being without either parents, but we had each other, and that was a big help. But then Jane arrived—" Edward flinched "—and Heidi went away to save me. I lived a total of another five years without her. This was the worst period of my life, no parents, so sister. All alone. I trave;;ed through the world, going everywhere except Europe. I knew the moment I stepped there, I would want to rescue and bring Heidi back, and that would kill both of us.

"I had been without Heidi for only a year before I wandered into Washington, looking for big game. I ran into Charlie there, and we just instantly bonded somehow, though I wasn't comfortable around humans. He adopted me only weeks later. I stayed with him for a few days, but I'd never stayed in one place for more than a week, and it felt like I was suffocating. I told Charlie I wanted to travel, and he agreed, knowing I could take care of myself. I'd only just returned two days ago when I met you all."

"You gave us the most tremendous shock since Alice and Jasper joined the coven," Edward told me, smiling fondly. "You look human, better actually, smell human, sweeter somehow, and you even acted human. We were all one hundred percent sure that you were human. I never even guessed what you really were at that time."

"And the first time I talked to you all?" I pressed.

"Alice had a vision," he replied. "A rather short. It just showed you passing Emmett's chair and stopping, while I stiffened in my seat as well. It was really weird. We'd barely started puzzling over this when you _did _stop by us. When you greeted us, it was enough to shock out of our minds."

"I bet poor Jasper didn't even know about half-breeds," I teased, grinning.

"Of course not. He lived amongst wars and battles and death in his newborn years. You know about Maria from your touch-knowledge, you've seen what extremes he'd been through before meeting Alice. I was sure he'd get a brain-stroke or something."

I giggled, punching his forearm. He caught my hand and pulled me closer unexpectedly. Before I could take another breath, his lips were pressed against mine, and I completely forgot the busy airport around us and lost myself in his arms.

"All passengers for flight 907 please queue at Gate 16," the speakers boomed out, echoing across the huge halls. I sighed and pulled away.

"When you want this announcement, it'll never come," I complained. "And just when things start to get better, you have to stop. Darn it!"

Edward laughed, dazzling me momentarily, and smiled that irresistible crooked grin of his that I always went head-over-heels for. He was just so beautiful…how could something so breathtaking and incredible exist in a world alongside the vile and repulsive Volturi? I quickly banished all thoughts of that wretched coven and walked over to Gate 16 with Edward.

The Cullens always travelled in style. Incredible ships, impossible cars, luxury aircrafts and liners normal people could only dream of. Their style was expensive and comfortable, and amazingly personal. They never travelled anywhere in public planes or ships. Impossible! They had their own private crafts and liners!

Because of this fact, I was surprised at the long queue that waited in front of Gate 16. This had to be the first time I'd ever seen a Cullen use a public mode of transportation. I raised my brows in surprise, looking at Edward incredulously. He grinned, and nodded at me to tell me to stay here.

"I'll be right back," he whispered in my ear, his cool breath tickling me. I watched him walk over to the attendees standing and smiling at the people before them. Their eyes grew impossibly wide as they caught sight of Edward. The queue hadn't noticed Edward—everyone there was staring at me while I determinedly avoided their stares and clearly audible whispers.

"I'm Edward Cullen," Edward introduced himself to the attendees. "And that's my wife, Isabella Cullen."

I loosened my shield to watch their reactions more clearly. It was highly enjoyable.

_Cullen? Cullen! _"Oh, of course, sir. I got the call this morning, sir," one of them stammered, his eyes drifting to me where Edward had pointed me out. "If you would please follow me…?"

So he did arrange a private plane for us. I could just see the horrified look in Alice's eyes if she heard we might have used public transport. She'd have been in shock for days. Heidi would have been in a similar state. I giggled mentally to myself, a wide smile on my face.

Edward walked back over to me and ruffled my hair possessively while the human females watched, envy and jealously clear in their eyes. I eyes him accusingly, knowing exactly why he was publicly displaying his affection for me.

He understood my look.

"You're so lucky you can shut off your powers," he told me. "If you'd had to listen to the trite envy of these females all day…ugh. I had to let them know you're the only one for me."

Of course I couldn't hold a grudge against him, even a silly one like this. "Sure." I leaned up and kissed him passionately before following the man to where our plane was waiting for us. As expected, it had an air of Cullen-esque style and luxury about it. We were the only passengers on it, naturally. The only other people onboard were the pilots and the attendants to serve us food and drinks. Well, mostly serve _me _food, since Edward never ate. He'd gag.

"How does food taste to you?" I asked when the plane took off and the humans were out of earshot. "You know, normal human food, like chicken or pizza?"

"Slimy," he answered immediately. "Acrid, and smells like something out of the garbage dumpster. And swallowing...it goes down so slowly…makes me sick for hours unless I don't throw it back up. Up and out. Disgusting."

"I had no idea food was so bad to you vamps."

"Food is bad for everything except humans."

"And me."

"And you. And the fact that you like both real food and blood fascinates. Tell me, how does food taste? Can you compare it with blood? Which one do you prefer?"

"Well," I said, wondering how to answer. "I prefer blood, before I'm mostly vamp; the human part is only in some instincts, like blinking and breathing. And hunger, not thirst. If I drink blood, I don't get thirsty. But if I eat, a bit of the thirst remains. Not powerful, just a dull itch in my throat. It's rather annoying."

"But how does food taste?" Edward pressed on, his eyes glowing with curiosity. "I was never much interested in eating when I was human and alive, so I don't remember anything about it. What does it taste like?"

How do you explain food to someone who'd never tasted it before? I decided, like when I first told him I loved him, to _show _rather than explain. So I hefted my shield up and showed him the flavors and smells of different kinds of food. He watched, tasted and smelled in silence, his eyes wondering and speculative.

Our conversation flew around everything as we chattered happily throughout the long plane flight. At one point, I pressed my face up the window and watched the awesome sight. It was great. Edward pointed out all the exciting and important landscapes and landmarks in the cities and villages we passed, and the time flew by blissfully.

The plane landed safely in the airport. We collected my small handbag (which had nothing but a stack of cash and a bunch of pictures of Edward and me on our second honeymoon) from the conveyor belt, and had just stepped into the Exit when I was covered in hugs and kisses from Esme and Heidi and Alice.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" Esme huffed. "I was so worried!"

"Bella, you're never going anywhere alone again," Heidi told me sternly.

"I wasn't alone!" I protested immediately. "I had Edward with me. I was perfectly safe."

"Yes, but the two of you don't really count as two," Heidi told me nonchalantly. "You're just halves of each other, so in that sense, you both are alone. And you're never doing that again. We're all going next time, so deal with it."

"Yes," Alice agreed. "This was a very close call."

**A/N: And that's the tenth chappy done! But be warned, Bella and Edward escaped the Volturi very narrowly, and that had triggered their anger. The next chapter—lots of suspense and fear, some tears, loads of action, and a crushing tragedy.**

**Hope you're still enjoying **_**Living like a Star! **_

**Secrets of the Dark**

**XOXO!**


	11. Decision

**Darkness looms ahead, seeking to feed itself on the happy, pleasant lives of the glorious Cullens. The darkest elders want Bella, and this time, they take or kill. But Bella knows if she refuses, they'll come back again and again, her family will forever be in danger. Will she join, or refuse and continue putting her beloved family in danger forever? **

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND **_**STILL**_** OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 11: Decision

EPOV

Alice and the girls planned on a girls' slumber party. Hardly possible, considering vampires never sleep, but since Bella does, they've decided to call it a slumber party. And according to the girls, and Bella, there was a strict 'no boys' rule this time. Carlisle and Esme agreed to the party as long as they kept it confined in Alice's room (parties like this usually ended up with a lot of mess and no one wanted to clean that) and they agreed.

Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and I were going on a hunting trip while Bella, Esme, Heidi, Alice and Rosalie stayed behind at the house for the girls' night. It was wonderful to see Bella so excited about this party, but something, perhaps a deep hidden instinct, told me there would be disaster this evening. I just couldn't push off the feeling; the one that was saying Bella would be in grave danger tonight.

Because of this, I was extremely reluctant to let her out of my sight, but nobody can ever change Alice's mind, and once she's set, she's set, and there's absolutely no arguing.

"Oh, Edward, I'll be fine! You go and enjoy yourself with your brothers," Bella told me, smiling angelically. Even through her reassurances and Alice's visions (muddled and hazy because of Bella's presence), the concern kept nagging at me until Alice finally exploded.

"Oh, will you stop it already!" she cried, frowning with her hands folded tightly. "You're making Jasper feel edgy, and that's making all of us jumpy! Just relax for once, Edward! Everything's gonna be fine! I've showed you the future a zillions times already, so stop being so mopey!"

"Alice, you do know 'zillion' isn't a real word," Heidi told her.

"Of course I do!" Alice replied, her eyebrows raised. "I meant that Edward knows as well as anyone that everything will be fine, so he _should _stop worrying now."

"I'm sorry, Alice," I apologized. "I just…Bella and I have never been apart from each since we first met. I guess I'm just anxious to be away from her."

"Overprotective," Bella teased. "I'll be fine, Edward. Don't worry, I'm feeling the same too."

"Your concerns are not the same as Edward's, Bella," Jasper began. "You're feeling—"

"Oh, just get out!" Rosalie shouted, tired of the conversation. "Out! Its girl time, and NO BOYS! OUT!"

Alice, Heidi and Rose shoved me and the boys right out of the house. Carlisle was chuckling loudly, shaking his head fondly. "Alice is Alice, no matter what," he told us. We nodded in agreement.

No one messes with Alice.

I glanced back at the quickly-disappearing house, the uncomfortable worried feeling clawing at my insides. Something was going to go horribly wrong. Extremely wrong…maybe, fatally wrong. And it had something largely to do with my Bella.

BPOV

Alice was an unstoppable force of nature. I'd always known that, but tonight was the first time she'd unleashed the potent force of her Infamous 'puppy dog' eyes when I absolutely refused to pose as her own personal live Barbie as that she could dress me up and glue makeup on my face without my constant complaints.

"Pwease, Bella?" she said in the smallest saddest voice I'd ever seen. Her expression was heartbreakingly sad and I very nearly caved right then and there.

"Oh, Alice, please, no!" I shouted, jumped as far away from her as the walls would allow. "No way! I'm just Bella, NOT BARBIE BELLA!"

"Oh, come on, Bell," Heidi insisted eagerly. "It'll be so much fun!"

I looked at her in dismay. "You're supposed to be my supportive sister!"

Rosalie, Esme and Heidi sided with Alice, so I was forced onto the small pink chair in Alice's bathroom and spent a full hour there, my face being masked, buffed and polished in every way imaginable. I had absolutely no idea what Alice and the others were doing, but they seemed to be having fun, and that was enough for me.

After a long, hard hour of making-up, we finally got started on the 'slumber' party. Snort. A _vampire _slumber party. Hilarious. I'm not being sarcastic here, it really was extremely funny, considering the fact that vampires couldn't sleep.

After a full hour wasted on me, the girls and I moved on to much more girly and fun stuff. We played a guessing game (which everyone forced Alice out of), a pillow-passing thingy which I couldn't understand, and the perfect pillow fight. From the mess we made, I knew Alice and Esme had a massive clean-up day coming up for them. I giggled at the thought and decided to help them—I'd been a part of the mess too.

After the pillow fight came the girl talk. Ugh! I stayed out of that one. It was way too personal and private for me to talk to others as freely and happily as Rosalie and Alice chattered away about it. It was just way too confident for me, and I always wanted to keep my opinions on _that _topic between myself and Edward. It was lot more comfortable that way.

Half-way through giggling about something to do with Emmett, Alice suddenly froze in her place, her vision far away, her expression a familiar blank. The rest of us stiffened in our seats as well, knowing that distraction in these times could seriously waver what Alice was seeing about the future.

Exactly three and a half seconds later, the vision ended (all of us still in the same tense posture) when Alice's visions ended. Her head snapped around to look at me, her expression devastating. Her lips were trembling, her eyes wide and horrified. I felt a shiver run through my spine; something was extremely wrong. And I had a good haunch what. But I needed to make sure first.

"Alice?" Heid and I asked at the same time while Rosalie and Esme watched her in silence, worried and surprised. "What's wrong? What did you see?"

Her voice was dead, hollow, completely devoid of emotion. It was the worst expression I'd ever seen my wonderful bouncy excitable sister make. And it had the essence of death in it; death and loss beyond measure. I was so shocked, I didn't even have the sense to release my shield and enter her mind to find out what she'd just seen. She replied slowly.

"They're coming for you," she said flatly, her eyes agonized. "Ten of them. And this time, they won't leave without you. Its been far too long for them, and they want you badly."

Surprisingly, shockingly, I knew exactly who Alice was talking about, and even more stunning, I was calm. I'd expected it. The Volturi would never rest until they had me, and they'd never stop or rest in their efforts to make me join their vicious so-called Guard. Those monsters.

Instead of feelings scared out of my wits, I was worried and concerned. I knew that if I refused this time, they'd kill my family. And I could never let that happen. It was pain which hurt even thinking about imagining it. It was an agony I never wanted to experience. And, so, I knew what I had to do to keep my family safe. There was only one option.

Departure.

EPOV

It was getting harder to control my worried emotions with every second. I was praying Bella was still with the girls; safe, sound and laughing. I'd just finished with my last deer and settled down on a nearby boulder to wait for the others when the emotions struck harder than ever.

That was it! I was going to call Bella. I had to make sure she was alright, or else I could never make through tonight without constant worries, which, by the way, was already driving Jasper crazy and snappy.

I reached into my pocket for my phone when it buzzed. Bella? Almost simultaneously Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett's phones began ringing too. What was wrong? There was definitely something wrong. I flipped my phone open. It was…Heidi?

"Hello?" I asked, confused. I'd expected Bella; what did Heidi call me for?

"Edward, you need to hurry home, _now," _she said, her voice panicking. "Please. As soon as possible."

"I'm on my way," I said immediately. The urgency in her tone was making me shudder. "What happened? Is Bella—?"

"Bella won't be alright until you get back home," she said extremely fast. "She needs you right now. All of you, Please, hurry back home as soon as you can."

"Tell Bella I'll be there in no time." I snapped the phone shut and stuffed it back into my pocket, already running. I pushed myself harder than I'd ever done. I was right. Bella was in danger.

Just the thought made me shake with fear. My mind automatically began sorting through the facts. Heidi had said Bella was fine but we needed to get home right now. That meant Bella was in danger, but it wasn't here yet. That meant Alice had obviously seen something. Heidi had also demanded we get home immediately—that meant the danger wasn't far.

Oh, no. Bella!

I flashed through the forest, moving at literally lightning speed. I wouldn't let anything touch Bella, let alone hurt her. And the only thing strong enough to hurt my darling was…

Oh, god, no! The Volturi were coming…

I flew through the forests, my vision tinted with crimson in fury. They won't live to see the next sunrise.

Heid POV

Bella was strangely calm for a person whom the vampire royals were coming to kill. She stood perfectly still, leaning against the wall of Alice and Jasper's room with a blank expression. I wondered what was going on in her head, but her outer appearance gave nothing away. I had a vague idea she might be planning something super self-sacrificing to keep the rest of us safe. That girl was too giving for her own good.

Alice sat on the bed a few feet away from where I standing near the window, her expression frustrated. I knew why: Bella's presence always blurred her visions and being blind was she something she had never experienced before meeting Bella. I knew if she were human, she would in tears by now. Poor Alice.

Rosalie was talking rapidly to Emmett. I didn't listen to her, my eyes fixed on my sister, whom I could sense was in great distress. I also knew she wasn't upset for herself; she was worrying about the family.

Esme was on the phone as well, contacting Carlisle. She looked devastated; much like Alice had looked when she'd had the vision of the Volturi's arrival.

I was observing all of this with my face turned to the window, their reflections clear and detailed. The forests, stretching right out from the end of the huge lawn surrounding the house, were still and cold. Besides Alice's occasional muttering and Rosalie and Esme, I couldn't hear anything. I was listening for the boys' arrival. Well, mostly Emmett, actually, because the others didn't make a noise except for the big Teddy bear.

As more time passed, I got more and more frustrated. Where the hell was Edward? Obviously, by now he'd figured out that the Volturi were coming, and also that Bella was in huge danger. So where was he? Why wasn't he already here? It had been almost five minutes since I'd called him. Maybe he had gone hunting all the way to the Canadian border. That seemed like the only explanation for his prolonged delay.

"Ugh!" Alice complained again; I turned around to look at the tiny pixie. "All I can see is that the Italians will be here in four hours, and the boys will arrive in—"

The door banged open unexpectedly. Edward strode in, his eyes wild, his hair messed up from his run, and his expression concerned and scared beyond what I knew humans were capable of. I was right; he was dead—no pun intended—worried about Bella. More about Bella than the rest of us, which was perfectly understandable considering that Bella meant more to him than the world, of course.

One moment he was at the door, then the next he was standing next to Alice (towering over her) and then a second later, he was seated beside Bella, his arm around her shoulder. Their eyes were locked with each other. One emotion was plain on their faces: worry for each other. Bella's eyes, tear-filled, looked dead.

"Edward…" she mouthed. He held her tighter, one hand stroking her hair.

"Nothing will happen, Bella," he whispered to her. "Nothing. I won't let them touch you. Don't worry. Nothing will happen. I won't allow harm to come to you, not as long as I'm around. Don't worry; you'll be perfectly safe again…"

I looked away from their loving embrace. The moment was too personal and emotional, and I didn't want to interrupt this most private of times. But if something went wrong tonight, the Cullens would be shattered forever. And that reality was sharp in my mind as the clock's hands moved toward our doom.

* * *

How ironic that the Volturi should come to get Bella exactly where Bella and I had been reunited. The huge baseball field. Alice had foreseen ten vampires coming. Only one immortal more than us. We were nine, they were ten. They held the majority, but we had the main power: love.

Aro, Marcus, Caius, Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, Renata, Santiago and Chelsea. Aro, Jane, Alec, Chelsea and Renata's gifts would be rendered completely useless by Bella's stretching Shield. Demetri couldn't be completely stopped, but he would have a hard time tracking us. Our main worry was Santiago. Carlisle had no idea what his ability might be, and so, naturally, we feared the unknown.

We weren't anything of an easy target either. Alice had a future seeing ability (which, thanks to Bella, was having problems currently), Edward could read minds, Jasper could cripple them with pity and compassion, Emmett could crush them with his smallest finger and of course, we had Bella, who could raise them in the air and squash them with the gases and set fire without moving from the spot. As far as we could see, we had the advantage, greatly boosted by Bella.

Emmett was extremely excited.

"What? I'm eager for a real fight," he said sheepishly when I stared at his bouncing in disbelief.

I shook my head and moved away from him, exasperated. Even being face to face with destruction couldn't move Emmett's happy, jokey mood.

Carlisle and Jasper had planned out a perfect formation for us to stand in while we waited for the Volturi. Bella, in the dead center, would be flanked on one side by Edward, on the other side by me. Emmett would be standing beside Edward with Rose at his side. Jasper beside me with Alice. Carlisle would be standing at the head with Esme at the back, being the most harmless and gentle.

Carlisle had been friends with Aro during his first few decades, and we all hoped that friendship might make them hesitate if they decided to kill us. We all knew it wasn't much of a hope, but it was hope nonetheless.

We stood in our allotted places, waiting for them to arrive. Edward looked fierce, Jasper looked intense, Emmett was excited, Carlisle was calm, Alice was frustrated, Esme looked worried and Rosalie looked as if she were concentrating very hard on something. I wondered briefly how I looked. Observative?

And Bella was, curiously, blank. I just knew she had planned something big. What could it be?

A huge tree fell a few miles from the field where we were standing, waiting. Bella flinched and looked away from the grass toward the place where the fir had fallen. Another followed seconds later, and another.

They were here.

**A/N: Well, we all know what the Volturi look like. Aro and the other elders have weird chalky skin, Jane and Alec are tiny and angelic (and behave like demons), Renata is a wimp, Demetri is quiet, Felix is overconfident, and Santiago is silent and mysterious. Since we all know it already, let's not put in lengthy descriptions. Fine, let's continue…**

Aro, at the head of the party, stepped into the clearing at first, his face expectant and excited. He looked taken aback when he saw Carlisle, but quickly erased the feeling, and smiled with false cheer and warmth.

Warmth, of a vampire. Right.

"Carlisle, my old friend!" he cried. I blinked. That was unexpected.

"Interesting words, Aro," Carlisle replied coldly. "You call me 'friend' while you come to take my daughter away from me and my family. Away from her family, friends and her mate."

"I do not intend to force anyone to do anything!" Aro said, looking shocked and hurt. "You know I would, could, never do that! My intentions are perfectly noble, peaceful, my friend."

"Peaceful?" I shouted, furious at his lies. "Peaceful? Is that why you imprisoned me? Is that why your _darling _Jane tortured my sister to weakness? Is that why I was separated from my only family? Is that why you brought your pathetic vampires?"

"Heidi, dear, you know I never did those things," Aro told me, looking hurt.

"I WAS IN YOUR PITIFUL GUARD!" I screamed, infuriated. "I know what happened! I know your intensions, Aro, and you're not fooling even the dumbest creature."

Felix and Jane hissed, furious at my accusations. My mind flashed back to those dreary years I spent in Volterra…the pain, the loneliness…the agony of not having my sister around me, holding my hand and comforting me. Edward shuddered slightly when he heard my thoughts.

As soon as Jane hissed, Bella stiffened, her face angry and intense beyond description. Her hands curled into frightful fists, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Jasper looked at her, worried. Within seconds, she was in control of herself, but a slight warping of the view surrounding the Cullens told me that Bella had her shield hung tightly around us, like a clear, transparent bubble. An impenetrable bubble.

As soon as Bella relaxed, my own fury seeped away. An unnatural speed, which made me suspicious that Jasper had something to do with it.

"Miss Cortes," Aro said, addressing Bella. She glared at him. "Or Mrs. Cullen, now. I would like you to join my Guard. Please. I'll give you all three days to decide whether or not Bella comes with us. You will tell your decision on the first light of the third day from now. We will be staying here in this field until that time comes."

We stayed where we were, thinking this might be a trick. We all looked at Edward. He stared at Aro for a minute longer while we held our ground.

"He will keep his word," Alice and Edward said together at the same time. "We have exactly three days to make our decision."

Alice looked at me meaningfully, as if trying to say something less. I shook my head at her, letting her know that inform me when we return home.

"Thank you, Aro," Bella replied coldly. "We will be here in time."

"Refrain your guard from hunting here," Carlisle added as we departed. "We still have to maintain our privacy."

"Of course, old friend!" Aro chirped.

I didn't look at the Volturi as we backed away from them and the field.

* * *

EPOV

We had only a few more hours left until we met with Aro again. The past three days had consisted of nothing but worry and fear. True to his word, Aro had no contacted us again, but Bella kept her shield wrapped snugly around each of us, not trusting him anymore than I did.

Currently, my angel was asleep in our room. She was utterly exhausted, drained by the constant worry and pain around the house. I understood perfectly. Rosalie was in her room, trying to get some peace, even though she, too, was extremely worried about Bella.

But something was off about Bella since Alice had had the first vision of the Volturi. Bella hadn't allowed me access in her mind in these two days. The last time had been when I'd returned home from the fateful hunting trip, when she'd told me how worried she had been about me and the family. It was rare for Bella to close her mind so firmly to me, which made me wonder if she was planning something.

Even though I was loath to be away from her for even seconds now, this final family discussion was required. Since Bella was tired and asleep, she didn't need to join. We were all seated at the dining table (which was never used for its intended usage), with Carlisle at the head as usual.

"So, we're decided then," he was saying.

"Of course," I said impatiently. I wanted to get back to Bella and watch her sleep. "Bella's not leaving us. She doesn't want to, firstly, and secondly, we would all be lost without her."

"I know I'd never survive if I have to live without her again," Heidi whispered. The pain I saw in her mind was overwhelming. "It was unbearable enough the first time, and I don't want to repeat the experience."

"Bella is part of this family, Carlisle," Jasper said fiercely. "We can't just let her go! Plus, she's too fragile to live by herself with the Volturi. And Edward would be crushed if she left."

I fought not to think of what would happen to me if Bella were gone. Not that that would ever happen. Not as long as I was alive. Bella was mine, I was hers. Forever evermore. That was what we were: one, for eternity. Joined together since the moment our eyes met. We were meant to be, and will always be.

"I agree with Rose," said Emmett, serious for once. He loved Bella a lot. He adored her, like she adored him. He was brother she'd always wanted, and she was the sister he never had.

"Bella's my sis," Emmett continued. "And we all love her. She's part of all of us now."

_Edward's right: we'll be lost without her. _"Emmett's right," Alice agreed. "Bella—"

Rosalie's piercing scream tore through the night, blistering with pain and shock. My head snapped up to look at the ceiling where Bella. I flew into Rose's mind, but she was blank with shock and surprise. Utterly blank and…painful.

I don't remember running up the stairs with the others, but I found myself standing in Bella's room where Rosalie was standing by the empty bed, clutching a letter with trembling hands. She looked pained enough to cry. I snatched the letter from her.

I never knew simple words could bring so much pain. My world had ended, of course. There was nothing meaningful anymore. Just one thing existed: Bella and her last words to me. I looked at her beautiful writing, pain numbing me, rooting me to the spot.

Dear family,

Please forgive me, but this is the only way I can see to keep you all safe and sound. Please forgive me, and never forget me. I don't intend to hurt any of you. I'm terribly sorry, but this is the only way I can see to make sure you're never put in danger because of me, ever again.

I'm joining the Volturi. I know once they have me, they'll never disrupt your perfect life again. Please don't ever come for me. This is the last request I ever make to you. Please don't go looking for me. It is already too late.

Alice, thank you. I'm grateful to you for eternity for uniting Edward and me. For doing our wedding, and enduring my craziness with smiles and patience. I thank you more than what I can ever say.

Heidi, no creature had a better sister than you. You're a large part of who I am, and I'm sorry I could never give you anything more than love. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. And thank you for everything you did for me.

Esme. You know I never knew my mother, but something told me from the moment I first met you that she must have been a lot like you. Caring, loving, sweet and motherly beyond what can be said in mundane paper. Thank you for being the best mother a lost girl like me could ever hope to have.

Rosalie. I love you so much for being so sweet to me. I know I could never have opened up as much I have without your encouragement and support. Thank you, for everything. Thank you.

Jasper, thanks for putting up my wild mood swings. I know I must have driven you crazy sometimes, but know I'll always remember you and cherish the times we've spent together. You're a wonderful brother. Please take care of Alice and Heidi for me.

Emmett, you complete this family with your joy and cheer. Keep it up, and take care of Rose. She's a lovely girl who needs someone sweet and fun like you. Thank you, for showing me life is meant to be fun.

Carlisle, you remind me so much of Daddy, and I want to thank you for being so loving and compassionate to me. I'd almost forgotten what a fatherly love felt like before I'd met you. Thank you so much. Keep this family together no matter what. They'll be lost without you.

Edward. You brought back my desire to live, to smile, to laugh. To love. You're more than my life, my soul, and I'll love you until time collapses. I cannot express how much this decision pains me, but you mean a lot more than myself to me, and I'll do anything to keep you out of harm's way. Please, don't come for me. I'm sorry, and I love you.

Goodbye. I love you all.

Bella.

I finished the letter, the sound of Bella's last laughter ringing in my ears. My knees gave out, and I succumbed to the sea of agony waiting for me.

_Bella…_

**A/N: And that's ANOTHER chapter done! Stay tuned for more!**


	12. Emptiness

**Bella has left the Cullens and joined the Volturi to keep her beloved family safe from the Italian Royal Vampires. Edward's feelings about her sudden, unexpected departure is pure pain and loneliness. Not talking, not hunting. Just…surviving…**

**Bella is in Volterra, her state similar. But she's forcing herself to move and eat. She lives entirely on human food now, as she refused to feed off humans. This chapter is based entirely on Edward and Bella's feelings about being separated from each other. **

**This begins exactly where the last chapter ended. And now, the tale continues…**

**XOXO!**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND **_**STILL**_** OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 12: Emptiness

EPOV

Never, in all my years, had I experienced a feeling as searing and excruciating as this. The paper, plain, mundane _paper_, in my hand felt as if it were a thousand pounds. My knees gave way and I crumpled to the floor. I couldn't see anything; my vision consisted of only one image: Bella, smiling.

_Goodbye, I love you all._

Those were her last words.

"Edward? Edward!"

Someone was speaking to me. I couldn't hear the words. All I could listen to was a glorious laughter of an exquisite angel named Bella, whom I loved and cherished. Whom I valued above life and survival. Who was now gone.

"Bella…" I choked on the name. The world was an empty void, dark and silent. A space consisting only of pain. Downright agony. No, agony seemed mild when compared to what I was feeling now. This…this could never be described. I was gone. I didn't exist anymore.

My heart, cold and silent for a hundred years, had been warmed and lighted by Bella. By her blinding beauty. And now she was gone. And my heart had, not been silenced; it was gone entirely as well. She'd taken _me, _my soul,away with her.

"Edward!"

The outward, unreal voice was getting louder. I looked up from the floor where I was staring. I knew this face…Esme.

"Edward…" she dropped to her knees beside me and pulled me into an embrace. I never felt her. I didn't understand anything. It seemed my very identity was gone. Bella…she was…gone, forever. She wasn't going to return.

My life flashed back into my eyes, and I remembered where I was. Yes, Esme. Carlisle. Heidi. Alice. Rosalie. Jasper. Emmett. My family. Without Bella? No! No! NO!

The eternal pain was shaking my body, making it vibrate in painful waves of excruciating loneliness. I was alone, even when surrounded by my family. By my parents, and sisters and brothers. I was…alone.

"I…I can't control his feelings," Jasper said wretchedly. "They're too deep." _I've never felt anything like this. Its too powerful for me to control. _"We need to let him be. Let's go. He needs to be alone for now."

"But look at him!" someone screeched. It took me a second to recognize the voice. Alice. "He needs us!"

A piercing scream tore through the night. A scream blistering with pain and tears. A scream that spoke of unbearable pain, of loneliness too intense to verbally express. Heidi…she had lost her sister for the second time in a decade…poor Heidi…

Rosalie moved over to beside Heidi, where she was trembling with loss.

"Shhhh…don't worry, we'll find Bella. Shhhh," she soothed as Heidi broke into tearless, dry sobs. If she hadn't been a vampire, she would have been unconscious by now.

_Bella…my sister…gone…no…Please, not again. Please, please. I can't…she has to come back, at least for me. If not for me, for Edward. Please, not again. Please…_Her mind was so full of pain, I flinched away from it.

I had to get away from here. Away from people. Away from civilization. Far away, where I could wallow in my grief in silence. Without being disturbed by voices and people. If I couldn't get away right now, I could never recover from this. Recover? What an impossible word. Until I saw Bella again, I could never recover.

It took all of my strength and willpower to get up from the floor and look at Carlisle. I blocked out all the voices I could hear in my head. All of them were grieving Bella. And my own pain was more than enough; I couldn't bear to suffer all the combined mourning. I could never survive such an intense overflow.

"C-Carlisle," I stammered, barely able to form the word. "I…I'll be back in a few weeks. Please…I need to go."

My father's golden-brown eyes stared at me for a long moment. I couldn't understand why, but I didn't care. I hardly saw him anyway; all I could see was Bella.

"Of course, son," he whispered to me. "I understand. But please, come back. And if you want to fetch Bella back home, please tell us before you go. We'll all go together."

I didn't really hear what he said, but I nodded my head all the same. I zoomed out of the room. Bella's sweet scent was everywhere in the house. The kitchen, the living space, my room, Alice's room…everywhere. She was gone, and my soul had left with her.

I ran. Ran. Running through the woods…flashing across the occasional road…passing anonymous hikers so fast they didn't notice me…crossing countless houses and backyards…I simply ran. Running seemed to help the pain, not ease it (nothing could ever ease it) but it helped cope. I was vaguely aware of the rising sun when the lights hit the trees, but I didn't care. I simply ran.

Physically, I was running. Mentally, I was running away from myself. From my identity. From _Edward. _Where I was going, I neither knew, nor did I really care. All I cared was that she was gone.

I found myself, a day later, in Forks. The place where I'd first seen my angel. And I found myself in the beautiful meadow where Bella and I had shared so many hours together, happy and peaceful. But the beauty of the meadow was gone. The flowers and colors were still there, but there was no more happiness in it. It seemed the very sun had been dimmed.

I stayed there for a full week. In those days, I wondered what to do with my life now. Before, my aim had been to make Bella happy. To make sure no tears ever escaped her gorgeous eyes. To make sure no harm or sorrow ever dared to stray in her blessed path. But now what? Why was I living?

I knew that if I destroyed myself now, it would crush the family. Their pain won't be a hundredth of the agony coursing through me now, but it was pain nonetheless. And even though I was beyond miserable now, it would be extremely selfish of myself to leave them behind and enter oblivion or whatever there was after this meaningless life. Suddenly, I knew why I was still alive. Because Bella was there alive. If I were destroyed now, I would still be alone. At least here, I could pose as a tourist and visit Volterra and perhaps get a glimpse of her.

Or maybe because I knew that, in order to restore peace to myself and to Bella who was also undoubtedly suffering without me now, I would eventually join the Volturi and enter their foul ways, just to set my eyes on my angel. Angel who now was the only reason I was still walking the planet.

If I knew I was going to join the Volturi, why wasn't I moving toward the airport to catch a plane to Italy? Only because I knew that this decision would make the Cullens think I had betrayed them. But Alice would know why: because of Bella. If I joined them, I would do everything I had in me to make sure Bella and I left them together and rejoined the family.

Yes, that seemed the only path to happiness. I knew it would take years to trick them, but it was a chance I was prepared to take.

The only path leading to Bella…

Maybe, this was written. Maybe Alice had missed out this, but it was fate. Maybe I was meant to go there and rescue Bella and return with her to our home. Maybe, this was the only future that was truly set in stone.

But I still too grieved to move.

First of all, I needed to retrieve my self and my previous, bubbling energy and life. First things first: I needed to talk with Heidi. Of all the Cullens, she knew the Volturi best.

BPOV

**A/N: Bella has just boarded a private plane off the airport, on her way to the Volturi castle. On the flight, she discovers that Renata, the shield, had made a similar sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe. Eventually, Renata and Bella become close friends. Unexpected, I know, but this'll come useful in chapters to come. **

Pain…

Agony…

Loneliness…

And lost love…

That's all that I seemed to be now. An empty shell with no aim, no vision. Just pain. One word that echoed around my body in a beautiful melody was _Edward. _The love of my life, the man who now owned my soul. I was his forever. And we were separated.

In those three days while I pondered over my decision, I knew being apart would hurt both of us immensely. What I could never have expected was the intensity of the pain. For the first few hours while the Volturi boarded a private plane, I was completely unaware of my surroundings. The pain shook through me, making it impossible to breathe.

But I knew I had to keep myself together. The Volturi life was just strife and survival. The tough lived out, the weak didn't. And I had no intension of a lonely death. If I died, it would only be in Edward's arms, in his embrace. Nowhere was a better place to die. I knew by now he had read my letter.

How would he react? Will he heed my last request and not come for me?

My noble side didn't want him to do that. I didn't want to come and take me back home, because the Volturi would destroy him, and a world without Edward in it was something I couldn't imagine. My other more selfish side wanted to him to come back to me. I wanted him to come here and pick me up and run back home, where I could see my family again.

The two sides of me tore at my body, leaving me painful and confused.

The only friend I had in the Volturi was now, surprisingly, Aro's personal bodyguard, Renate Volturi.

"Bella," she said from where she was seated beside me in the plane. "I know what you're going through. I endured the same pain as well. I, too, left my loved ones to keep them from harm. But trust me, I know what you're feeling."

At first, I hadn't believed her. But after I touched her mind and saw the truth for myself, I was convinced.

Renata had also had had a family like mine. Not veggies, normal. But a family bound with love nonetheless. And then the Volturi heard of her, and they came for her.

She told me her whole story on the flight to Italy.

"I have a mate like you, too," she explained. "Kui. He is beautiful. And I wanted to protect him from harm. Kui's sire, Liosa and her mate Janus, was repeatedly put in danger because of me, and that was something very difficult for me to take in. At last, two years after the Volturi first contacted me, they all went for a prolonged hunting trip. I decided to stay behind. The moment they were gone, I wrote them a letter. We didn't have paper at that time, only papyrus. I explained my reasons and left, broken hearted. Kui destroyed himself months after I left, unable to live without me. It is still painful…"

As she explained, I saw the images in her mind. A handsome vampire with bright red eyes, Kui, I assumed, beside two more immortals. One was a girl. Not a woman, a girl of about perhaps twenty years when she was changed. She was really pretty. Her mate, Janus, was holding her shoulder lightly. They looked happy.

"How long did it take you to adjust to this life?" I whispered, unable to speak properly. My tears still fell.

"It has been four hundred years since I joined this coven," she replied softly. "I still am not comfortable. I know I never will be, but I wish I had Kui with me. He made things so perfect…"

I retreated away from her mind, which was suddenly flooding with pain shockingly similar to mine.

I rested my head on the seat, and closed my eyes. I pretended, to ease my scattered, pained feelings. I pretended that all this had never happened. That Edward and I were still together, and we were on a flight to somewhere, and he was sitting beside me, not Renata.

I couldn't sleep, no matter how much I tried. The overwhelming, all-consuming, excruciating _pain _throbbed through me, and the tears never stopped.

_Edward…Edward, my love, I'm so sorry. Will you ever forgive me? I miss you so much! I want you back. I want to go back home right now. I miss everyone so much I can't tell you how much. I need your help, Edward. If I'm going to live through this, I'm going to need your guidance. But I've left you so far behind…_

_It seems my life has left me, leaving behind only this shell which is me now. I don't really exist anymore, Edward. Please, I need help. Guide me, like you always have. You showed me life was love, but does that mean if love is lost, life doesn't exist anymore? I need answers, Edward, and I need you. _

_Please, forgive me. I know you're in pain too. I'm sorry. I'm sorrier than what I can ever express. Forgive me for the pain I've caused you. I don't know what to do with myself now, Edward. Guide me. Help me. I need you now more than ever. But we're away from each other…_

I begged Edward mentally for forgiveness the entire journey. It seemed tears, like life, are endless too, for they never stopped streaming.

I don't know how long the journey was. But I know I was exhausted and in desperate need of rest when we exited from the plane and walked out of the airport. A huge car was waiting for us outside.

"Bella, dear?" Aro said happily. I flinched away from his hideous mood. "You climb in that car with Felix and Demetri. Alec can ride with you as well. The others will come with me in this car. Now, come on! Let's move!"

He was happy. The damned pathetic vampire was _happy _to separate me from my mate. I was itching to crush his body and set fire to the lump. If I wanted to, I could easily kill the entire coven. It wouldn't even be a risk! But I didn't.

I climbed into the luxurious car (which was the exact color, to my horror, to Edward's Aston Martin) and sat. Demetri climbed on my right, with Felix on my left. I tightened my shield further when Alex settled down on the seat directly in front of me, his eyes fixed on my face. I closed my eyes, trying to control my fury.

Jane's brother…

"So, Bella," Felix drawled. For one moment I reached into his head to see his intentions. They were, not pure, hardly, but unharmful. He didn't mean me any harm. I was the first hybrid he'd seen and he was curious about me.

I looked at him (retreating into my own mind again) to show that I was listening. I may have joined the Volturi, but I was still Bella Cullen. I still belonged to Edward, and Edward only.

"What does being a half-breed feel like?" Felix asked me eagerly.

In more relaxed and painless situations, I might have laughed. But laughter seemed like an alien thought now. Laughter? It seemed like a distant memory…

"I'm half-human half-immortal," I explained blankly. "I need human food and animal or human blood. I refuse to live on humans, so I'll just eat _food _from now on. I'm not powerful like you, thanks to _your_ sister—" I fired at Alec, who blinked in surprise "—but I'm faster than most vampires."

"Care to race on of these days?" Felix asked excitedly, ignoring the glares Alec and I were exchanging. Amazingly, Felix behaved a lot like Emmett. Oh God, Emmett…just thinking about my family hurt.

I nodded, too agonized to response.

_She looks fast. And gorgeous. Holy crap, she's _hot. _But, damn, she's mated already. Crap. But it'll be fun racing with her…_Felix's thoughts about my appearance disturbed me. Immediately, to make sure he kept a distance from me, I built up a solid, perfectly transparent wall but slim wall between us. Felix noticed the air moving rapidly, and raised his eyebrows.

I understood.

"In case Aro didn't inform you all," I announced. "I am a mind-reader, a weather controller, a mental shield and a touch-knowledge gainer. I would appreciate it if none of you angered me, or else you would be nothing but ash."

Felix grinned, Alec looked shocked and Demetri was highly uncomfortable. Alec decided to play the brave guy.

"Really?" he said sarcastically. "A weather controller?"

To illustrate, I teased the air around the bit of toughened leather just centimeters from Alec's hand. The vampires gasped loudly when they saw the piece rip itself out of the seat and float close to Alec's face.

I contracted the air around the bit to make it move through the air, tracing fiery letters (combination of environmental gases) in mid-air. I wrote:

_Don't mess with me, or you will regret it._

The fire floated inches from Alec's face. His eyes widened and he immediately squirmed away from the heat. Demetri mouthed, "Wow…" Felix looked impressed.

I ignored their reaction. Edward's image was still smiling at me from the back of my eyes. _Oh, Edward. I'm sorry. I love you…_

As the flight continued, I pondered a new idea. I had never tested how far I could reach out with my mind. If I had an unusually giant range, maybe I could contact Edward! It was next to impossible, but anything was better than nothing, right? This sudden point of hope brought back a little peace that I'd always experienced with the Cullens? Could I do it? Would I be able to handle the pain if I couldn't?

"Are your senses as dull as humans?" Demetri asked. This was the first time I'd heard him speak. The sound brought shivers down my spine and I shuddered a little.

"As good as yours, Demetri," I replied emotionlessly. It seemed to survive without Edward, I would have to let go of all feelings. I would have to live in numbness. I could, would, do that, if it meant the Cullens were safe.

"How far can you see?"

"Five, six miles at most."

"Hearing?"

"Three, four. I don't know. But a thousand times more than a normal human."

Demetri nodded and looked away. I wondered what was wrong with him, but for some reason I was wary to enter his mind. His job was mental as well; what if he managed to harm me or block me or something like that?

But the idea of contacting Edward through telepathy remained in my mind. Was it possible? Could I reach that far? USA was hundreds of miles away from Volterra. Could I do it? I started fidgeting in my seat. Because on the move would make it harder for me to concentrate. I needed to be in a stable, empty place.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed since I'd run away from home. A full day, so it was almost midnight when we gunned through the gates of Volterra. The streets were empty and dark, but, of course, I could see as well as if it were bright daylight. The vampires who rode in the car with me jazzed out of the car and stepped into the bright moonlight.

"This way," Demetri said, pointing toward an alley. The cobbled stones were inclined toward the thick wall at the end. I followed them toward the bricks. Felix bent down and dragged a metal frame off the drain-hole at the end of the alley. He straightened and looked at me.

"Down there?" I asked, surprised. He nodded.

I jumped. It was short, but fast. I landed catlike on the bottom. It was darker than outside, and much colder. I shuddered as a blast of freezing wind blew over me. With a silent _thump! _Demetri and Alec landed right beside me. I stiffened, uncomfortable with Alec so close beside me. Ready to surprise them any time, I rose a few inches into the air and glided away a few feet away from them. Alec raised his eyebrows. Demetri was blank like always.

_She is certainly someone to stay away from, _Alec was thinking. _Powerful, stubborn and gravely determined, just like Aro had described. He was right—she'll really make a difference to this Guard._

The way he thought of Aro, with a sense of respect and awe, sickened me. I scowled and looked away. Felix dropped to the floor beside Demetri and they started leading me down the freezing tunnel. It felt like we walked forever. I was hardly paying attention to my surroundings; I was thinking of Edward. And Heidi. She must be shattered to lose me again after seeing me after so many years. But now, we were never going to meet again…

And Edward? What had been his reaction? Was he angry with me? Or was he numb and _gone, _like I was? Would he ever forgive me for leaving him and our family so harshly? Would the rest of them? And what did Alice think of me after reading my letter? And Emmett, my brother? This must have hurt them so much…

A sense of deep foreboding stole over me. If I ever managed to convince Aro never to harm me or my family again, and if I left, will the Cullens welcome me back as a daughter again? Will Edward ever feel the same way about me? Or will I be shunned and discarded? Just imagining it was agonizing…

We entered through a low doorway into a brightly lit reception area. A woman, a _human _woman, was sitting behind the silvery desk, reading a book. She looked up as we entered, and smiled, her eyes lingering on me.

_That must be Bella Cortes, _she thought. _Aro finally got what he wanted for so long. And, my God, she's beautiful. I've seen over a hundred vampires in my years, and never someone so…gorgeous. Wonder what Aro said to convince her to come. She doesn't look the type to want a life of strife and war that we have here…_

I ignored her as her thoughts went on and on.

"Aro is already here," she told us. "He's waiting in the Feeding Room. Zoya has gone fishing tonight."

"Good," Felix said eagerly. "I need some nourishment after our journey. The plane was private, but the pilots and hostesses weren't. God, one of them smelt…mmm."

I was disgusted by the way he talked about humans, like they were animals meant to be killed. Did he have any idea how much that bothered me, seeing that I was part human too?

"Would you _mind?" _I hissed furiously. "I _am _kinda human."

"Your blood's not as appealing as a human's," Felix said carelessly. "You're most vampire."

Blood boiled in my veins by the way he insulted part of my kind. I clenched my fists to control my temper, but, for the first time in my life, I lost control. A fire burst into existence inches from Felix's face. He froze as the heat waved him. His eyes wide, he looked at me frantically. I saw my fierce expression mirrored in his eyes and grinned, satisfied at his terror. The flames hovered there for a full minute before I extinguished it.

Renate appeared at my side as soon as the flames disappeared. She laughed at Felix's terrified expression.

"Ha, Felix! You got beaten up by a twenty-year-old!" she teased him delightedly. _Bella'll show him his place! Ha, that's got to teach him a lesson! _

Felix snorted, pretending to be careless, and stalked away towards a door on my left. He strode in and slammed it shut.

_Stupid hybrid. _

Demetri acted as if the short confrontation had never happened.

"This way, Miss Cullen," he said and started

"Mrs Cullen," I corrected him harshly. Who cared about manners here? They were all my enemies anyway.

"Marriage doesn't really count here," Demetri replied curtly. "You can ask any female around here. Everyone's either a Miss or nothing all at around here. Get used to it. You can't change our rules here, and you can't make new ones, either. Only the elders can."

I rolled my eyes. Like I cared.

Jane was waiting for us by a plain wooden door.

"Bella," she said curtly.

"Jane," I nodded stiffly.

Alec rolled his eyes. "This way."

**A/N: We all know what the room looks like. So, once again, so biggy descriptions.**

Aro, Marcus and Caius were already seated at the throne. Marcus, looking bored as always, was staring at the blank walls. He had the most _blank _ mind I'd ever heard. Marcus was interested in why Aro was so obsessed over me. And Aro was enthusiastic as always.

"Bella, darling!" Aro cried when he saw me. "How are you liking our humble castle?"

"Its cold," I said without hesitation. "I feel the weather, unlike you. Its freezing in here. You need some fireplaces and heaters around here. And try and clean it up once in a while, the floors are filthy."

Aro looked shocked for a moment, but gained back control. "Of course. You're our top Protector here now."

Jane hissed in anger. Aro ignored her. Jane, who had expected him to comfort her and tell her she was her favorite, looked shocked and devastated when he didn't. With an angry huff, she stormed out of the room, Caius' eyes staring after her in disgust. Aro didn't even notice her pique.

"Alec, escort her to her chambers," Aro told the tiny vampire. When I raised my eyebrows questioningly, he said, "We always had a special chamber ready for you, in case you ever untimely agreed to join us. It seems our plans worked out."

I showed no indication of acknowledging his claims. I simply stared at him. Aro didn't seem to mind, and I refused to enter his foul, evil, disgusting, repulsive, animalistic mind to find out why. I refused to enter any mind other than Felix and Renata, because it seemed only these two were harmless.

* * *

Alec led me through countless door and stairways. I was getting more tired by the second, but I held myself rigid and straight throughout. I wasn't about to show weakness to any of these stupid, idiotic scumbags. Pathetic vampires.

Alec, as well, didn't make a single sound as he walked. I matched his long strides perfectly, hardly having trouble keeping up with his pace. He didn't seem to care. He stopped a few yards from a smooth wooden door and pointed at it silently. I nodded once and strode upto it, opening it without looking at him. He left.

Pain washed through me, fiercer than ever, when I saw, to my uttermost horror, that the room looked exactly like the one Edward and I had shared in Rochester. The bookshelves…the bed…the chairs…the desks…the carpets…the color scheme…Agony was raging at my insides when I saw that the walls were decorated with the exact pictures I had in my original room.

Pictures of me and…Edward.

I collapsed on the floor, trembling in pain and loss.

A human couldn't live through this pain. A human would have to be on the point of death to endure this agony. Oh, how I wished I were dead. How I wished I could hold Edward and have his strong arms around me again.

_I need you, Edward…I love you…Forgive me…_


	13. Conversation

***Sniff-sniff* How are Edward and Bella going to live without each other? I was actually in tears when I wrote the last chapter, the part where Edward finishes reading Bella's letter. Anyways (*sniff*), let's continue…**

**(Tearful) XOXO**

Chapter 13: Conversation

EPOV

I fumbled in my pockets, searching for my phone. Even when my fingers brushed over its surface, I didn't realize I was touching it. Bella was all I could think about…But I forced the stupor over and grabbed the phone and pulled it out. I searched through the contact list until I found Heidi's number. I knew she probably won't answer, because Bella's loss had obviously taken a heavy toll on her, but I needed answers, and she had them. I wouldn't have picked up my phone it I were her, but I hoped when she saw my caller ID on her display, she'd pick up. Hopefully.

Hope.

What a strange word! Did hope exist in a world where there was no Bella? Did the _word _exist? Could the idea and action survive in the empty void that Bella had left behind the moment she stepped out of the house? And how was Bella? How was she coping without me? She needed someone to take care of her all the time; she was so fragile! Could she look after herself without me? Worry suddenly flooded my mind and blackened my vision, but I made myself concentrate on the task at hand—I needed to talk to Heid.

She answered at the second ring. "Hello?" Her voice cracked.

Not having the energy, strength or patience to go through routine formalities like greetings and hellos, I got straight to the point. Her reaction was just as I had expected it to be. First of all, she was scared. Then she quickly turned to resistance, before, realizing my resolve wasn't going to waver any time soon, acceptance. A slight of air in the background told me that the entire family was listening to our conversation.

I wondered briefly if my parents and siblings would approve of this place. But first of all, will Bella consent to this? She had repeatedly asked in her letter not to ever take her back home. I knew she didn't really want that (of course not!).

_But, Bella! I can't live without you. I can't even think of trying! Please, I need you back. The whole family needs you back. Heidi's shattered, Emmett's depressed, Jasper's shocked, Esme is mourning, Carlisle is depressed, Alice and Rosalie…they're grieving you. I know you hate to see us in pain. Ease our suffering—come back to us…_

"Edward? Are you there?"

Heidi's voice brought me back to the meadow, with my phone in my hand.

"Yes, I'm here," I replied. "So, will you help me, or not."

A long silence followed my question. I couldn't hear anything other than the quiet breathing issuing from my phone.

"Edward," Heidi said hesitantly. My body went colder than ice. Will she refuse to help? What will I do then? "I want my sister back more than I want the world to be safe. I want her back home, safe and happy. Truly, I do. But if you went there, and both of you died…That would be too much loss for anyone in this family to endure…and I can't risk losing both my sister and her mate. Bella would never forgive me if you died because of me. And I love her, Edward…"

I relaxed. "I understand, Heidi. Trust me, I do. But this idea was never yours. I simply need your help. I'll do my best to get both of us out of there alive. I won't leave until I have her back in my arms. I just need your help to get back…Bella." Just saying her name sent white-hot splinters through my heart. How could such pain exist in this world?

The silence didn't last for as long this time. "Fine. I'll help you. But make sure both of you get out of there alive."

* * *

"Thank you, Heidi. Thank you…" I couldn't say anymore. The pain was overwhelming me, and I needed some time of silence to get back to the extreme numbness I'd forced myself into to conserve enough strength to call Heidi. Even now, _her _image lingered on the back of my eyes. Bella, my angel…

Now, I knew everything that could be known about the notorious Volturi. Every inch of their castle was planned in my head, every member of the Guard memorized. I also knew what offensive and defensive abilities and guards they had. I knew everything I needed to know about them. I was ready, in my head.

Emotionally, I was drained to the point of lifelessness. The few hours I'd spent plotting with Heidi had been in a state of complete numbness. I didn't feel too pain, nor any pleasure. I felt…felt what was absolutely necessary. But now I needed rest, because the numbness was drained as well…

Could this torture even be classified as pain? It was so much more than that. A million times worse than the most painful situation ever to exist…I knew if I were human, I would have committed suicide by now. Because humans are petty like that: if they don't like something in their life, instead of ending the problem, they end their life. How strange. I had to admit, I'd thought of self-destruct myself. Even now, it seemed the only way to gain back the immense, intense, peace and pleasure Bella had always radiated was death.

Well, we don't really _die. _We just don't exist anymore. Not alive, not dead, not even undead living. Just…gone. Kind of what I was feeling now. My soul, my heart, _me, _were gone. Bella had taken everything away from me, because she meant everything to me. Without her, living just seemed pointless…

_Edward…_

Wow, I really had a great imagination. The voice I'd just imagined in my mind seemed so realistically like Bella's musical tone. It was almost like the melody that her mental voice had. Oh, how I wished I could hear her once more.

_Edward?_

I jerked into a sitting position. The voice was getting too clear to be just my imagination.

_Edward._

Too clear. Much, much too clear. Way too clear…

_EDWARD!!_

I froze. This couldn't be Bella. She wasn't anywhere near me now, and even if she _was _reaching out to my all the way from Volterra, it was too far for any normal immortal to reach out and touch another with their minds. It was just too far.

_I know, Edward. I thought so, too! But I DID IT!_

This time, I decided to reply. _Bella? Is that…is that really you?_

A thousand images jizzed into my mind from the magical touch that I was beginning to realize was Bella.

_I missed you so much…_Bella's mental voice was overflowing with passion and sorrow as immense and powerful as mine.

Slowly, I began to understand what had happened. But I needed to clarify my theories. _Bella, how..how is this possible? You're too far away to be able to reach me like this._

**A/N: Here, Bella will show Edward how she managed to reach over the extreme distance between Forks and Volterra. The parts in **_**Italics **_**are Bella's memories; the parts that are normal are Edward's occasional comments and reactions. Thoughts of other people are ****underlined.**** Enjoy!**

_The room was exactly like the one Edward and I had shared in Rochester. The bookshelves…the bed…the chairs…the desks…the carpets…the color scheme…Agony was raging at my insides when I saw that the walls were decorated with the exact pictures I had in my original room._

_Pictures of me and…Edward._

_I collapsed on the floor, trembling in pain and loss. _

I shuddered as I remembered the same way I had collapsed after reading Bella's departure note. The loss had been too much to stand through.

_A human couldn't live through this pain. A human would have to be on the point of death to endure this agony. Oh, how I wished I were dead. How I wished I could hold Edward and have his strong arms around me again. This was becoming unendurable. How was I supposed to live through eternity if I couldn't pass two days without Edward? How was I supposed to survive and protect my family? How was I supposed to keep Edward safe?_

_And Heidi? Oh God…_

"_Help me…" I whimpered to no one. "Please…Edward…"_

_It was hours later that I got the strength to get off the floor and trudge toward the bed. I was dead-tired, but I knew I could never sleep in Volterra. My home was wherever Edward was, and right now, he was hundreds of miles away from me. Far, far away…the agony intensified a thousand fold when I caught a glimpse of the photo on the bedside table by the bed. It was one from our second honeymoon. Underwater…_

_It seemed the peace and joy I'd always felt had been left behind with Edward…_

_And just above the bed was a perfect replica of the painting Alice and I had made together several months back as a present to ourselves. A painting of all the Cullens together. Heidi had picked out the frame…Emmett had splashed paint all over Carlisle's face while trying to help us…Jasper had mended the brush when I'd accidentally set fire to it when I'd gotten impatient…and Edward had given me the idea…_

_So many perfect memories. So much laughter, so much joy. All gone. All gone forever, and they were never going to return. I blocked out my mind, trying to clog everything. Sound, smell, feeling, thought, pain, emotion, everything…Edward, I need you…Edward, help me. I'm lost. I need you to guide me like you always have…_

I looked on as Bella continued to show me her memories. Each was more painful and excruciating than the last. But something about the essence of the new memories began to change. It was lighter, more hopeful. Ideal…:

_Images of my family began flipping through my head, no matter how much I tried to not think at all. _

_Emmett, wrestling with a bear while laughing loudly…_

_Carlisle, teaching me that biology was not the 'icky, sicky thingy' I'd always thought it to be…_

_Esme, showing me how she restored each old house they settled in…_

_playing in the rain with Heidi…_

_running away from Alice as she tried to take me shopping…_

_Jasper telling me how he met Alice and fell in love with her…_

_And finally, Edward. The moment when our eyes first met; the electric shot that went through me the first time he touched me…_

_Pure agony…_

_As _his _thoughts flashed through my mind, I shot upright in bed, my chest heaving as I breathed in quick gasps. Now, I had the time and chance. No one was around, but I made a quick search of the air surrounding my chamber to make sure it was all empty. Perfect. Perhaps now I could try out the idea I'd had in the car. Maybe I could reach out far enough to touch Edward's mind. It would bring a huge amount of relief to be able to just _hear _his voice once more. It would ease some of my pain, right? _

_I hoped so. _

_But once again, the question remained: Could I do it? And would I be able to handle the disappointment if I couldn't?_

_But I was determined to try. I couldn't sleep now, and I wasn't hungry at all. It seemed this was the only thing left to do tonight. Why not try? Just thinking about trying made to easier to cope with the agony. Just try. Only try…nothing more. Just TRY._

_I laid back down on the bed to relax, and closed my eyes. I began to listen harder. At first, the local thoughts began louder and __louder __and __LOUDER. _

_Oh, Didyme…The wonderful times we'd spent…_

_Ah. Now I finally have Bella Cortes. I am satisfied._

_Where IS Alec? I need to talk to him!_

_Wish Jane would stop shouting so much. Hey, can vampires get headaches?_

_That Bella almost set me on fire! I ought to tell Aro…but then she WILL light me up. God, what now?_

_Still, I strained on. I began to reach further and further. I crossed the city-range without any problems. I passed through Italy, but my energy was draining fast. I needed to work harder…I must have stretched on to breaking point when I reached Rochester! I heard Alice and Heidi and Jasper. I felt Emmett. I met with Carlisle and Esme. But Edward wasn't here…he must have left them to get some peace._

Oh, how well she understood me!

_I crossed into California after Texas. It was getting ever harder to reach on now. I must pull back, or I will collapse from exhaustion. I had never been so tired and drained before in my life. _

_Bella…life without you seems so…meaningless…_

_My breath caught in my throat, and in the same moment, I was full energized again. One word sent tremors of joy through my spine, and sent me shaking into excitement and peaceful Edward…_

_I wish I could hear her just once more…_

_Huh? Oh, so he thought he was imagining my voice! Silly vampire! "Edward!"_

_Wow…I really have an overactive imagination. But I don't want that now…I need Bella back. Heidi's plans help, but they're not enough…_

"_Edward! It's me!"_

**A/N: The memories end here. The rest is Edward's POV again. Hope you liked this little flashback! ******

EPOV

Even until the end of the trail of memories, I was having serious doubts about whether this was real or not. But now, not any more…

_Bella! Why did you ever leave?! You silly, beautiful, overprotective girl! _I chided her.

She was amused by my question, as if the answer was way too obvious.

_Edward, my presence in our family put them in serious danger TWICE! I couldn't bear that. It was far too much, and I could never have been able to live with myself if anyone got hurt because of me. I had to leave, Edward._

I'd never seen a sillier reasoning, but I understood what she'd felt. Her selflessness was becoming too much for her to handle, and she eventually had to remove herself from the picture. Silly, silly girl! To my surprise, I realized the pain was almost gone. The horrid emptiness, the crushing loneliness; all of them had almost disappeared. Bella heard what I was thinking, and her thoughts because regretful and filled with remorse.

_I'm suffering, too, Edward. I'm sorry. You know I hate to hurt you (I detest it, in fact) but I knew I could never be truly _alive _if something happened to you because of me. That would have been beyond unendurable—that would have been worse than how I felt when I stepped out of the house._

I smiled sadly. _Please don't torment yourself, love. I love you. I miss you, everyone's missing you. You won't believe how hollow Heidi has become. _

She winced when I mentioned her sister's name, and her pain intensified. I talked faster, trying to remove her guilt.

_And, if you want us to be whole once again, you need to come back, Bella, _I told her quickly. _I talked with her a few minutes before you found me. She's told me everything she knows about the Volturi. About their castle and entrances and exits, and their Guards and everything. If you have difficulty leaving them, I'll come over right now and get you out—_

_NO! _she shouted frantically. _No, Edward! Don't even think about it! Don't you dare— _She became too panicky to finish. I felt her take a deep breath before continuing. _Edward, you have no idea how much packed and dangerous this place is. Alec is stalking my every footstep, Felix…well, he's sort of pissed at me now because I almost lit him on fire—_

I laughed, the sound seeming strange to my ears. But I didn't notice that part. Most of my mind was amused. My Bella, harmless fragile Bella, had almost destroyed one of the most powerful and strongest vampires in the Volturi. Of course, this put her in enormous danger, but she was so funny and sweet. She really knew how to keep everyone in their places.

_Ahem! _Bella said to get my attention back. I smiled and turned back to her. Where else was heaven to my other than her? _Anyways. Edward, please, you must never come here. If you do, Aro'll read your mind and see that you want to take me back, and he'll never let me go. Not unless _I _tell them that I want to, because then he'll be bound by his own rules. But if you tried to take me back to the US, he'll…he'll…destroy you, Edward! And I can never live through that! _

_I must go and get you back exactly because of that! _I told her. _Because Volterra is a very dangerous place. I know you're powerful, love, but you need someone to take care of you. You're extremely delicate, and I won't be able to bear it if something bad happened to you. Both of us know that you bleed easily; if that happens in front of one of those vampires, they won't be able to resist and…_

I choked, unable to finish the sentence. A large part of the hollowness returned to me just at the thought of Bella…dying. I shuddered with renewed pain.

She tried to sooth my suffering, imagining all the intense moments we'd spent together. Her memories were sharp and clear, and eased away most of the agony. I resurfaced, feeling a lot better.

_Thank you, _I said. _See what it does to me just thinking about it? Do you actually want me to go through that? _It seemed reverse psychology was the only way to convince her to return back home with me. To me.

Her mind was blank with surprise for a minute at my question. I waited patiently: she deserved all the time in the world. No, she deserved the world itself. She deserved everything. She was the icon of brilliance and perfection and passion, and she was…everything. Beauty, gentleness, love, intensity, passion…everything. Literally everything. Bella recovered quickly and replied:

_No, Edward. I would hate…I would detest putting you in so much pain. But if my death means your safety—_

_NO, BELLA! _I shouted, horrified. What was she thinking?! _No! Don't even think of thinking about that! Never, do you understand me, Isabella Cullen? Never! Mark my words, if you so much as mention it once more…_

She laughed, amused. _Very well, Edward. Anything you want. I will not do that. Let me think about how to get off this place, and then I—_

She went complete silent, not moving or saying anything both mentally and verbally. I froze automatically too, tensed for danger to her. What was wrong? Was she alright? Had she withdrawn from her reach? Had the strain become too much for her? Oh, goodness, I hoped she was alright!

_I'm fine, _she said hurriedly. _Alec is coming with a message from Aro. I'll…talk to you later. I'll come up with a plan to get rid of the Volturi altogether, alright? So, just stay safe until then, and RETURN TO CARLISLE AND ESME! They're all empty without both you and me. Okay, okay, I'll talk to you later. I love you, Edward. Bye…_

At the last word, her mind became painful and agonized. Her sorrow and regret was so powerful and staggering. I stumbled, fumbling to gain back my balance, which was lost as an aftershock to her pain. It was almost overpowering. Before I could react and soothe her suffering, she slipped off my mind and was gone.

The agony returned, doubling this time. I'd just talked to Bella, and now I couldn't reach her anymore. Was she alright? Oh, God, for goodness' sake, please, please, please keep her safe…my angel was in grave danger, and I was helpless…Please keep her safe…

_Bella, I love you…_

BPOV

I gasped with pain as I retreated from the haven where _he _was standing. Our meadow. The pain returned, but this time, it wasn't so intense as before. I could now talk to Edward whenever I wanted to. That was a great relief. Not what I wanted exactly, but enough to keep me going for a few more days. I leaned back into my bed, slipping underneath the covers and closed my eyes as soon as Alec knocked on the door.

Since I was pretending to be asleep, I made quick work on myself to make it look as if Alec had indeed interrupted my slumber. I swiftly wrinkled and twisted my clothes, rumpled and messed up my hair and made my eyes droopy, if as I were dead tired. It took about ten seconds. I got off the bed and trudged to the door, opening it slowly and bleakly.

"Yes?" I made sure my voice dragged.

Alec was standing stiffly outside, as if he wished he were anywhere but here at the moment. "Aro asked you to come downstairs after you've rested. He has some things he wants to discuss with you, like our rules and obligations here in the Volturi."

He spun around and marched away before I could reply. I rolled my eyes and shut the door, Aro's request already shoved to the back of my mind. Right now, I was sifting through plans, wondering how to get off the Volturi and keep my family safe at the same time. I knew if I told Aro I wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to stop me because of his own laws. Ha! But if I left, he was sure to come after me to make me rejoin him. That would put the Cullens in danger again.

The only way left was to kill them all. But I didn't; that would make the whole vampire community turn against me, though the majority of them loathed the Volturi. I needed to make their enemies start a war with them, and make sure the enemies win…

Yes, that seemed to be the only way….

_Don't worry, Edward. We'll be together soon, and in a few months, everyone will be perfectly safe once more._


	14. Plots and Plans

**A/N: Weeee! Bella's going to be all plotty and plan-y in this chapter. She's determined to return back to the Cullens as she now knows that being separated from each other was only going to destroy both her and Edward. Yayy! Watch out for what she decides—it **_**might **_**be a bit of surprise for some. Or not. But, anyways, read and, if you like it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!!**

**XOXO! **

Chapter 14: Plots and Plans

BPOV

I was sifting through plans, wondering how to get off the Volturi and keep my family safe at the same time. I knew if I told Aro I wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to stop me because of his own laws. Ha! But if I left, he was sure to come after me to make me rejoin him. That would put the Cullens in danger again.

The only way left was to kill them all. But I didn't; that would make the whole vampire community turn against me, though the majority of them loathed the Volturi. I needed to make their enemies start a war with them, and make sure the enemies win…

Yes, that seemed to be the only way….

_Don't worry, Edward. We'll be together soon, and in a few months, everyone will be perfectly safe once more._

But if I wanted to destroy the Volturi, I wanted to make sure they died miserable. I wanted them hurt as much as possible, emotionally and physically. And my main target was Aro. I wanted to make believe that I truly wanted to be with his Guard. And just when he would be completely convinced of my devotion, I would leave. Yes, that would great depress him! Yes, that was my new target: wound Aro Volturi and his precious Guard.

Well, I might as well get started on my new drama.

I ran a brush through my hair, grabbed an unfamiliar set of clothes from the replicated wardrobe and dashed into the bathroom. The hot water relaxed me and I dressed and hurried downstairs. Felix was waiting by the stairs, fuming.

"Hey, Felix," I said cheerfully. The happiness wasn't a façade: I truly was very happy, knowing that I would be leaving this horrible place soon.

His eyes widened, shocked. _Whoa, what happened to her? The last time I saw her, she was devastated and angry. Now, she's all happy and cheerful. Weird. _"Hello, Bella. Aro sent me to fetch you. And _thank you _for almost killing me last time," he added rudely. His behavior failed to affect my mood. I was way too chirpy to be bothered by anything at all.

"I'm sorry," I said happily. "I lost control."

Felix edged a little away from me, uneasy and suspicious. The doubt slowly vanished as he led me into the Throne hall. I was genuinely happy, and that was next to impossible to see. Through Felix's eyes, I noted that there was a new spring in my step, a sudden light in my eyes, a sense of hope in my face…overall, I was completely different from the hollow, irritable girl who had stepped into the castle only hours ago.

The door to the Throne hall was set in pure gold. Roughly shaped, but it was gold nonetheless. This room was a lot brighter than the Feeding Room. Skylights in the ceiling opened wide to the sun above. Females standing in the brilliants patches of sunlight sent glowing, colorful rainbows all across the room. It was very friendly-looking, seeming to match my mood better than I thought possible. Aro and Marcus were sitting on one of the three dull thrones set on the raised part of the floor. Caius was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Aro!" I called cheerfully across the room as soon as I passed under the threshold.

Aro blinked, shocked. "Hello, Bella, dear. How did you like your room?" _She really has changed a lot…I am surprised very much! Maybe she has seen the wrongs of wanting to stay with the Cullens and decided to sincerely join my coven. This is so wonderful!_

I hid a smile; this was going to be almost too easy.

"I hate it," I replied, pretending to be cold. "Why did you make it look like Edward and my room? And remove those hideous pictures at once! And, Aro, I just wanted to tell you…while I was resting, I was thinking about the differences between the Cullens and your Guard. You obviously have a much better life than them. Now I can't understand why I was so sad to leave them at all! I should have rejoiced and been relieved. I'm sorry I didn't join you earlier. I guess I was too inexperienced at the time."

I felt anything but what I told Aro. I loved the pictures, and the bedroom brought back a thousand memories. But I needed to lie constantly to make Aro believe. So I put on a delighted face and smiled widely, feeling repulsed and sickened inside. Aro, on the other hand, was ecstatic.

_By Jove, she has really changed sides, _Aro marveled mentally. _Now I am unstoppable. I must promote her to a higher level. Jane is currently at the top, but I can take care of that. She can be demoted and I can give Bella a promotion and give her the second-darkest robes. Where is Chelsea?_

"Thank you, Bella," Aro said excitedly. "And, as an apology for what Jane did to you, you are now replacing her as the Top Guard. Chelsea, be a dear and fetch a new set of cloaks for Bella; a shade darker than Jane's please. And bring Jane a light gray one."

Jane's face was fury beyond comprehension. Her hands were rigid claws at her sides, her breaths fast-paced, her lips parted in a snarl, and her gaze locked on me. I rolled my eyes: my shield was tightly wrapped around me now, and she could do me no harm. Instead of trembling in fear as Jane most probably expected me to do, I grinned a nice big toothy smile at her. Her expression because furious, and she stormed out of the room, Alec following her warily.

"Please don't mind Jane's little reactions," Aro told me graciously. I loathed his voice. "She's a bit of an over-reactor. Oh, Chelsea is here, thank you dear. Here, Bella, take this."

He handed me the cloak. Our hands touched when I reached out to take it from him. I jerked my hand away from his skin; it was colder than any normal vampire, slippery and an ominous feel to it.

_Of course she will need some time to get used to our ways, _Aro thought. I stifled a laugh; this was almost too easy. _She's new to this after all. But I'm getting very impatient…patience, Aro. Patience has brought lot to you in your thousand years—_

I retreated away from his mind, then, refusing to dwell on his selfish and arrogant thoughts. I pulled on the cloak. It smelled, strangely, of peppermints. I sniffed at it; the smell was intoxicating. I took another breath…my heart clenched in pain as I realized why the smell was so appealing to me. Edward, while he was human, his favorite snack was peppermint…ohhh…

I needed some time alone to think about my plans. I needed to plan my plans.

"Aro?" I called.

"Yes, darling?"

"I'd like to see more of your castle, but the thing is, I'd like my privacy. Can I explore alone?"

He considered it for a moment. "Of course, but be careful. The immortals here are trained and can resist your blood, but not everyone here can."

"I can take care of myself."

He nodded, and I left the room as fast as I could. I began to walk, barely noticing my environment, concentrating more on how to defeat the Volturi without involving my family. I followed the long dark corridor and turned left into an empty chamber. There was nothing in it but a drain. Peering through the grilles, I saw it led deeper underground. I shivered and moved away.

As far as I knew, almost ninety-five percent of the immortal population hated and were tired of the Volturi. But none of them were powerful enough to challenge them, both alone and united. A bunch of stupid wimps, that's what they were! But Carlisle had told me that before the Volturi had taken over, the vampires were ruled by a group of Romanian immortals. Most of them were destroyed during the fight, but two of the leaders had survived (Stefan and Vladimir) and eight of the Protectors. Maybe, if I could encourage the population to join them, and try and overthrow the Volturi, everyone would be happy.

Stefan and Vladimir could rule fairly, Aro and his pathetic Guards would be destroyed, the common immortals would have a bit of freedom and both me and my family would be happy and safe.

Could it work? Would it work? Could I convince them to work together? Would the combined strength be strong enough to overwhelm the Volturi? I needed to discuss this with Edward. Now.

Slowly, carefully, I began to reach out over Italy toward the USA. Towards my love. Towards Edward…

EPOV

I was feeling so much better. I had talked with Bella and I was back with my family. Carlisle and Jasper were discussing where to move next. We had already lingered in Rochester for almost over a year, and it was almost time for us to move places again. Alice and Esme were out hunting and Rosalie was upstairs *ahem* with Emmett. And Carlisle and Jasper were deep in conversation. My mind was wandering elsewhere (with Bella) but I couldn't help but listen to their discussion.

"…Chicago might be a nice place to live again," Carlisle was saying. _Edward hasn't been there since I turned him. He might regain some of his human memories. I'm sure he would like to remember his parents once again. I know he must miss them sometimes, the poor boy. First his parents, then his humanity, and now Bella…heavens help him._

"Yes, but the weather there?" Jasper pressed, a little reluctant. He didn't want to leave Rochester. Although he refused to admit it, but he really liked this town, and wanted to stay here for a little longer. His thoughts were a little lazy at the moment.

But I couldn't listen any longer. I leaned back into the couch and closed my eyes. Although it had been only a day since Bella had contacted me, it felt like forever. Of course, the pain had eased almost all away, but the lingering bits were really making Jasper uncomfortable. Not that he blamed me. But I did wish constantly that Bella would reach out for me again. Like my brother, I was hesitant to leave Rochester. Bella wouldn't know where we would be moving, and that might make it harder for her to reach us. Of course, if the others insisted on leaving, and I would stay back until I'd told Bella.

Still, I wasn't sure why I hadn't told Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie about Bella and my mental conversation back in Forks. Only Alice and I knew; Alice, because of her visions and my explanations; and me, of course. In the last moments of our little talk, Bella had mentioned that she was going to plan something that would get rid of the Volturi altogether. I knew that, for an immortal as powerful as her, it would easy to destroy all of them without moving or risks. But I hoped she wouldn't do that. Although most vampires hated the Volturi, some liked them and their destruction would turn them against us and Bella. And that was a serious risk I wasn't ever to risk putting Bella into. She was fragile enough already…

"Edward, what do you think?" Carlisle asked me suddenly.

I opened my eyes, confused. What had they been talking about? "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What?"

"Do you think we should go to Chicago? Jasper mentioned a town in South-east Asia. That might be a good place to live for some time. We've never really explored Asia before."

_It's a tiny country right beside Asia, _Jasper explained to me. _It's called Bang-something. It's rather hard to pronounce, but they have a beautiful rainforest in the southern region which is always raining. Peter and Charlotte once went there, and said it's great. What do you think?_

I nodded. "Of course, Carlis—" I froze. I knew that touch: BELLA! Unconsciously, I sprang to my feet. At the same moment, Alice appeared beside me, her face worried. Esme was right beside her, a spot of red (blood) on her otherwise pure white dress. I didn't hear anything, because Bella was speaking.

_I love you! _She said cheerfully. I smiled, the pain washing away.

_Love you too…_I murmured wistfully.

Jasper frowned, surprised by the sudden change of emotions from me. "Edward? Are you alright?"

_One minute, love. I haven't explained to them. _"Alice, explain to them for me, please. I'll be back in a few hours. All these thoughts around me make it hard to concentrate," I told my sister swiftly, and raced out of the door just as Emmett and Rosalie climbed downstairs. Rosalie raised an eyebrow as I left, but didn't say anything. Esme looked worried, Carlisle confused. Poor Jasper was being overwhelmed by the sudden overflow of emotions. I darted into the forest and ran, smiling as I did so.

_I missed you, _I said.

_Me too. Jane and Alec: those two are the most annoying creatures I've ever met! _Her mind was full of resentment.

I chuckled, but was a little worried. _Are you alright? Are they giving you a hard time?_

_They won't _have _time to give me a hard time, _she said easily. _Besides, I put Felix back where he belonged…along with Jane._

_How?_

_I convinced Aro that I hated life with our family and wanted to really join him. Believe it or not, he took my word for it! Can you imagine that? He promoted me to the top member of the Guard! _

_What?! Oh, wow! Good job, love! I'm so proud of you! _I was delighted. Her acting skills, though always flawless, must have been completely astounding to have been able to cheat Aro's keen stare. And even though Bella had been breathing for only twenty years, she'd had fooled an ancient who was over a millennium old! Incredible I'd always known Bella was a miracle of nature, but this wasn't something I had ever anticipated happening.

_Stop it, Edward, you're making me blush, _she told me shyly.

I laughed, my mood joyous. _I'm just so happy, love. I'm glad you're alright. Please, please, take care of yourself. _

She smiled, momentarily blinding me. Then her radiant mood sobered. _I've been plotting and planning all day…_

_Me too. I was wondering what you would come up with. _

She paused for a moment before continuing: _I know perfectly well how a little of the vampire world would react if the Volturi were destroyed by me. That would put all of us in danger, and it's a risk I'm not yet ready to take._

I agreed with her. It was extremely dangerous and hazardous. Maybe even Emmett might become a little nervous. I think.

_Exactly, _Bella told me. _So I was thinking, what if I, we, managed to find something rock-hard about the Volturi's injustice? What if we could prove that the Volturi are the bane of our existence instead of the peaceful folks they always pretend to be? That would turn everyone against them, and not even the Volturi is strong enough to withstand that. I was also thinking…maybe, if we pushed the surviving Romanians, they might agree to lead us…? _

I was silent, considering this. It was a brilliant plan, and it was quite possible that this would work. But there were dangers there as well. Would it be safe enough for Bella?

_Oh, for Christ's sake, stop worrying about me! _Bella said impatiently. _I'm talking about all of us, not just you and me! _

_Sorry. I can't help my protective instincts about you. Its just who I am._

_And that's exactly why I love you so much. _She showed me an image of us sitting together in our meadows, fingers interlocked, laughing as we lay in the cool grass. A ray of sun shone through a gap in the canopy hit me and I was sparkling brightly. She sighed contentedly. And then there was a hint of loss and pain in her thoughts. I froze.

_I miss you…_she told me sadly. I could feel her tears.

I clenched my hands into fists to control my own emotions; I needed to comfort her right now. So I tried to tease her. It worked, to my surprise.

_I'm sure we'll be together soon enough, considering the rate your ideas are spinning, _I joked half-heartedly. She cheered up and smiled a little.

_Thanks. I love you. _

_Not more I do, _I chuckled.

_An impossibility, _she disagreed.

_Which is quite true now. _I felt almost smug.

_Oh, shut up! _And she laughed too. Her mood was radiant again, to my intense satisfaction. We chattered happily for hours, not caring what we talked about, as long as both of us knew we were there for each other. It seemed every word she spoke turned into a melody which soothed me and ease away the crushing loneliness I felt when I wasn't near her. She was equally ecstatic to be with me too, and we shared in each other's joy.

Bella wasn't as surprised as I'd thought she'd be when I told her we were moving to India. On the contrary, she was delighted, because then it would be a whole lot easier for her to reach me. Since India is closer to Italy than the US. But she was a little glum too.

_I won't get to see the sights with you this time, _she said.

_I won't take a step out of the house until you come back to me, _I vowed determinedly. She smiled again.

Overhead, the sky, a brilliant morning blue when the conversation began, turned shade by shade to a light gold as morning slowly changed into afternoon. I barely noticed the passing time; Bella showed me everything that had happened since she'd arrived at Volterra. She showed me the Throne Hall, Jane's reaction when Aro demoted her, Alec's calm rudeness; Felix's excited curiosity and Demetri's quiet watch. It was all fascinating to be, with a hint of worry.

I jerked back to where I was (in Rochester's forest, in the highest branches of a towering pine) when a blue jay perched onto the branch I sitting on. I frowned when I looked at my watch—Bella and I had been chatting for three hours. My family must be getting worried. I sighed, unwilling to end the conversation, but it was inevitable. Bella sighed too. But we had to say our goodbyes and leave each other regretfully.

I didn't bother climbing down; I simply jumped from the branch. Air whooshed around me at deadly speeds as I fell the while 108 feet from the branch I was perched on. I landed slightly on my feet and brushed off the dirt clinging to my clothes: Alice would bite my head off if I returned home with dirty clothes. Bella released her hold and was gone. I sighed, the pain returning to its former place in the hole in my chest where my heart used to be. I walked all the way home.

_Oh, thank goodness he's back safe! _Esme was almost giddy with relief. I felt a little guilty for staying away for so long.

Alice flitted to the door as soon as I reached it. Her mind, as usual, was filled with excitement. She showed me why—she'd had a vision of Jasper and her going to search for vampires who had serious prejudices with the Volturi. Apparently, she'd had a vision of Bella's plans too. Her thoughts were wry. I smiled gratefully at her.

But what really surprised me was Heidi.

She standing nose-to-nose with me the moment I crossed the threshold. Her expression matched surprisingly well with Jane's reaction when Aro lowered her status. I blinked in surprise at her sudden hostility. She was too furious to talk; she shouted her words at me in her head; her eyes huge with fury.

_WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BELLA MANAGED TO CONTACT YOU?! _she bellowed. The sounds seemed to echo around in my head. _DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED MY CONDITION IF I'D KNOWN BELLA WAS ALRIGHT?! WHY, YOU…_She was too angry to even think coherently now. Jasper started at the hostility blowing off her, and immediately calmed her down. Carlisle gripped her hand and led her into a couch. She sank into it, still glaring at me.

I smiled apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Heid. I was just so surprised by everything that has happened over such a short time."

She growled.

"I'm really, really sorry," I told her again. Her reaction was completely justifiable; I shouldn't have acted so foolishly. "I think Alice told you all what Bella's planning to do?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, I, for one, think it's a brilliant idea!" Emmett boomed in his deep bass. "I'd been looking forward to a fight with those Italians since that baseball match where we met Heidi."

"I won't say I'm looking for the fight," Jasper added. "But I _am _eager to bring the Volturi down. They have already damaged vampire kind enough. It is high time they stepped aside. Or fell."

"I don't relish the thought of killing sentient creatures," Carlisle said slowly. "But I see its necessary, so…" Esme squeezed his hand lovingly.

"But this will take a lot of time," Rosalie said. "Can Bella manage to stay safe there with them until everything is ready?"

I didn't reply; the same thought had been nagging at me since Bella mentioned her idea. Of course it was great and brilliant, but could she be safe with the Volturi until all the arrangements had been made? It might take weeks, maybe months…perhaps years. Could Bella be safe? Would I be able to live on without her for so long?

"I think we should start as soon as possible," I said. "Maybe from tomorrow morning? You can spend the night preparing to leave, could you?"

Carlisle frowned, realizing I hadn't put myself in with them. "Aren't you coming with us, son?"

I looked down guiltily. "I have other things to do. I need to keep in touch with Bella…"

"Of course," Esme reassured me. "We understand. You don't have to feel so guilty, Edward. Its fine with us."

"Hell, yeah!" Emmett boomed.

"Of course," Jasper told me.

"Its okay with me," Rosalie added.

"Sure!" Alice squealed excitedly.

Heidi, who had been glaring angrily at me the whole time, relaxed and little and nodded in agreement, and I smiled gratefully at their acceptance. I felt calm, but I knew it was only Jasper, of course. Things were certainly going to be different from now on.

* * *

The whole night was spent in packing and arranging everything that they could need. Alice, to everyone's immense surprise, took only three sets of clothes. Heidi and Rosalie raised their eyes, incredulous. Alice shrugged.

"I've seen I won't need more than these," she replied obscurely. "And any more would just be a burden."

Heidi shook her head in disbelief, thinking: _I can't believe this! Alice isn't taking a truckload of clothes. Gosh, the world really has turned upside down. Alice isn't taking clothes; Edward's acting like a maniac…and Bella's gone…_

At the last thought, her feeling of regret and loneliness was nearly overpowering. Jasper's face looked pained before he immediately soothed Heidi, who smiled gratefully back. I wondered what would have happened if we didn't have Jasper with us when Bella left. The entire family would have fallen apart. Thank goodness for Jasper. He grinned at me when he felt my grateful mood and nodded in appreciation.

By seven fifteen, my family was ready. Everyone was going in pairs. Rosalie and Emmett left first, their cellphones clutched in her hands. Esme and Carlisle followed them soon after, leaving after hugging me for a moment. Esme looked worried. Heidi, Jasper and Alice were the last to leave.

"Everyone has their phones with them," I said to Alice. "So you can call and tell them where they're supposed to go next. Be careful, alright?"

_I still can't see what you're planning to do, _Alice grumbled. _You're changing decisions way too fast. Slow down, for once._

I grinned. I didn't want her to see what I was planning. "Don't worry; you'll find out soon enough."

She didn't reply. I looked at Jasper.

"Good luck, Edward," he said, grasping my hand. "Whatever you're doing."

Heidi nodded. She wasn't really interested in the conversation. She wanted to get started. She wanted her sister back as soon as possible, and the time will come faster if she started working immediately. She tugged on Alice's arm.

"Come on! Let's move!" she urged impatiently. Alice sighed, hugged me once and raced Heidi to the car, her backpack bouncing wildly on her back. Jasper shook my hand once.

_Don't do anything rash, Edward, _he warned me. _Everyone's suffering enough over Bella. We don't want to lose you as well._

"You won't," I promised. "I'll be careful; don't waste time worrying over me. Just keep the girls on track. Especially Alice—" I heard her snarl from the car "—and, please, do your best."

_I will. _He turned and darted toward the car. I watched them drive away. As soon as they gunned out of my 'sensing' range, I walked back indoors. The house seemed unusually silent and large without all those people moving around it all the time. It felt a little strange. And peaceful. It felt wonderful to have some quiet in my head. No more thoughts to hear…but that wouldn't last for long. I got up from the couch with a sigh. I needed to get going.

I walked at a slow human pace into the garage. Usually, I'd take my Volvo for occasions like this. But this was for Bella, and Bella was someone incredibly special. A special car for a special angel. I was taking my Vanquish. I climbed inside and shut the door without firing the engine. I took a deep breath.

The last time I'd entered this car had been with Bella. I missed her, and I missed her scent. Ahhhh…the scent was still potent in the car, swimming around me with a soft sweetness which made me long for her more than ever. I closed my eyes and smiled. _I miss you, Bella. I wish you were here with me now…_

I started the engine and drove out of the house into the drive. As soon as my tires hit the freeway, I swerved it around it face north. North, for Alaska. Towards Denali. The last time I'd heard, Eleazar was staying there. I needed to talk to him.

He knew everything about the Volturi, and he was going to be the cornerstone of our plan.

**A/N: Yayy! Edward's all determined and furious now! I love making him like that. It sincerely broke my heart when I wrote the chapter about Bella leaving…anyways! I hope you liked this. I know it isn't as good as some of my other chapters, but I hope I managed to put all the stuff I needed to put in! Thanks for reading, and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review! **

**THANK YOU!!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark.**


	15. Unexpectation

**A/N: Here, we move from the quiet despair and sadness of the Cullens to the bubbling fierceness and competition of Volterra. I'm fast-forwarding through two weeks. In the gap, Cullens have gathered almost fifteen friends who were going to help them in their plans, and Bella and Renata have become extremely unlikely friends. The wimpish Shield is the only comfort Bella has in the dark confines of the Volturi Castle as she tries her best to keep up the charade while the Cullens work for her freedom tirelessly. **

**XOXO! **

Chapter 15: Unexpectation

BPOV

The day began the same as every day. I woke up in my replicated room decorated with Edward and my pictures. Just like all mornings, the sight of the room I missed so much brought stabbing shots of pain through my chest. I reached out with my mind toward the USA as I climbed out of bed into the adjacent bathroom. Doing this everyday has made it a whole lot easier than the first time. Now, it no longer tired me. I briefly touched Edward's mind, whispering _Good morning. I love you! _to him.

He smiled. _I love you too. How did you sleep?_

_Same as ever. I wish you were here with me, I miss you. _

_Me too. More than I can say. Or show, in our case. _

I laughed. He always knew how to cheer me up. _So, how are you enjoying Texas? _

_I haven't been in such a sunny place since I was human, _he told me grimly. _It's always sunny around here. It's really frustrating, you know. But at least the game taste better. I tasted horse last night. It was…bitter, in a way, but nice. _He showed me. I laughed.

We chattered happily as I dressed and took a quick shower. We said our regular goodbyes when I stepped out of my tower to be greeted, as usual, by Felix. He never seemed to got bored of his same boring routine.

"Hey, Bella!" he called when he saw me. I rolled my eyes.

"Hi, Felix."

"How was your night?"

"Same as every other night."

"No new dreams?"

I frowned. "Why should you care about my dreams?"

"I'm just curious," he shrugged. "I don't remembering dreams from my human years. How do you dream?"

"When you sleep." My voice was toneless.

"How do you sleep?"

"By closing your eyes and relaxing."

"How do you feel when you sleep?"

I growled, annoyed by his endless questions. "Oh, will you stop it already!"

He laughed, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "It's so easy to annoy you."

I gritted my teeth. He wanted annoyance? I'd show him annoyance. He ought to learn never to annoy Bella Cullen by now. I slammed on a thick layer of solid, transparent wall a few feet from where Felix was walking. In a few seconds he would walk into it and crash in it. That otta be a shocker for the huge vampire. A few shocks and tricks were always good for health, as Emmett had showed me once. I sighed when I thought of my favorite brother. I missed my family…

BAM!

Felix staggered back, his face shocked since he couldn't detect what he'd slammed headlong into. He caught on quickly and turned to glare at me. This time, it was my laughter that echoed across the halls.

"It's so easy to annoy you!" I told him, highly amused.

He growled, but didn't speak anymore. I muffled another laugh.

There was only word to describe life with the Volturi: BORING. There was nothing new. Every day, at exactly eight-thirty in the morning, I'd skip outside to a local restaurant for my breakfast while a 'fisher' would troop in a large group of humans to satisfy the vampires. Usually, I'd spend an hour outside, strolling around the streets while they cleaned up the huge mess and chased out the smell which regularly made me want to puke. When I'd return, Felix would be waiting for me to escort me to Aro where I would rant off a series of lies about how much I loved Volterra. The rest of the day was spent as I liked. I'd explore the castle, chatter with Renata sometimes, and, when I was sure no one was around, I'd enter into a loving conversation with my Edward.

That was the only part of the day I looked forward to. Otherwise, the days were as boring as any other.

I couldn't confide anything to Renata, because Aro could read her mind and then he'd know for sure what my intensions were. It was too great a risk for me to take now, at this critical time.

Felix didn't wave goodbye at me as I exited the castle, still seething from his defeat. I smiled, satisfied. I still wasn't used to all the stares I got from the humans as I walked through the brilliant sunlight to my regular foodservice. My skin, glowing brightly in the sun, always attracted a load of completely unwanted attention. Some of the human females were extremely jealous of my looks. Their thoughts, riddled with envy, was always really entertaining.

A blond girl with the strangest green eyes gritted her teeth in anger as her boyfriend watched me take a seat and pick up the menu.

_God! What does he find so great about _her? she thought, outraged.

Her date's thoughts were so opposite I almost laughed out loud. _Gosh…is she real? _

Meanwhile, the manager was standing, transfixed behind the counter, his eyes locked on my face. _Goodness! She comes here everyday...and looks prettier every time…yum. _

I flinched as his usual fantasies began. I considered showing him my fierce side, but knew it was useless. I wasn't scary in the way Edward could be around other humans. I flashbacked to the time we'd swam to England. The dive had been truly spectacular, and I loved the way his eyes had glowed when he saw the coral and the old rusted ship…I choked back a sob. It was beyond agony, not being around him.

I needed to distract myself. Now. I called a waiter and ordered my usual. He nodded and left, his thoughts repulsive. I clicked my fingers on the table, waiting for my food. My need for Edward was stronger than ever, and I really wanted to talk to him again. Unfortunately, Aro had spies everywhere, and this was a public area. Maybe I could run off somewhere private? Make an excuse, pretend I'm going hunting? I thought for a few more seconds and made my mind.

I quickly canceled my order and darted through the streets for the castle. Gianna smiled when she saw me, and her face popped an idea in my head. I really didn't want to talk to Aro…

"Could you tell Aro I went hunting?" I asked her quickly.

She frowned. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

I smiled; humans couldn't understand our fast trill. "Could you please tell Aro I'm going hunting?" I repeated slowly. She smiled and nodded.

_Humans? _she asked, a trace of surprise in her thought. _I thought you were still against that idea._

"I am," I assured her. "I'm still veggie."

She nodded. Satisfied and eager, I raced further into the castle and down the formidable-looking steps into the underground parking area where the Volturi kept all their cars. These were hardly ever used, but were still in excellent shape. I had to admire Aro's nerve when I'd first seen that he had acquired a bright red Ferrari for me, an exact replica of the one the Cullens had given me. Other cars included several BMW, a few Aston Martins, nine or ten Porches…I could just imagine Rosalie's eager expression if she ever saw this huge collection. Usually, when I was extra bored, I'd spend the day here, tuning all the cars repeatedly.

I eyed the Ferrari. Shrugging, I picked out the key from the nine-feet-long rack that held all the keys of the cars and climbed in. The car purred into life and I shot forward, spinning it a completely 360 degrees before facing the exit. As soon as I was out in the daylight, I measure the weather. Volterra was a very warm city, bustling with humans. Perhaps a little drop of temperature couldn't hurt anybody.

I felt the familiar stirring inside me as my fingers flashed through the air, measuring and altering the heated atmosphere. Soon, it was as cold as I was used to in Rochester and Forks with the Cullens. I smiled sadly as I sped toward the city's outer wall. The guard took one look at me and waved to the others to let me through. They knew me well.

I wasn't sure where I was going. Somewhere nice and quiet, where I could have plenty of time with Edward. Suddenly, I knew just the place.

Fifteen miles from the city, there was a towering fir tree which shot a perfectly straight one hundred feet into the air. I didn't know why it was the tallest tree around, or why it was the only tree around, but I knew it was pleasant and breezy at the top. I had once climbed up there; the view had been utterly breathtaking. I smiled; it was the perfect place for a nice conversation. The distance took only a few minutes, considering the maddening pace I was going at. The fir was hidden from sight by a towering hill, so I couldn't see it from the freeway. I parked the car a few miles from it, and locked it. I ran the rest of the way, my mind already reaching toward my heart.

I hit Edward as soon as I reached the tree. Perfect timing! I played around his mind while I climbed; enjoying his frustration as I almost touched him but then danced away. I finally eased his discomfort as I perched luxuriously on the topmost branch. It was thick and a little prickly, but I didn't care. I brushed away a large part of the needles with my hand and settled in.

_I hate it when you do that, _Edward told me.

_Do what? _I was playing innocent.

_Almost touch, but don't really touch, _he complained.

I laughed. _Everyone has to play every now and then. Didn't you already learn that from Emmett?_

He groaned. _Don't talk about Emmett, please, love. I've had enough of his cheer. _

_How?_

_He's right here with me._

I gasped. _Can I talk to him?_

Edward turned his head to look at our huge, grinning brother. I reached out a little further and touched his mind. He was thinking about bears. Usual for him.

_Tell him I said hi, _I asked Edward.

"Em," Edward said. "Bella says hi."

"Oh, hiya, Bells!" Emmett cheered, his face lighting up. "How are ya?"

I laughed. _I'm fine. And bored. How's everyone else?_

Emmett, Edward and I shared a sort of mixed conversation. I talked with Emmett through Edward and he answered me through his mind. It was confusing. Messed up. But fun, all the same. After a half-hour into it, Emmett became restless. Sticking to one place calmly was something he had never managed to do. He said a hurried goodbye and darted off across the moors of Texas. Edward and I watched him go. Immediately, I missed my favorite brother's constant meaningless happiness and excitement.

_Don't worry, _Edward said. _He should be back at around sunset. _

_What is the news until now? _I asked anxiously. _I don't think I can stand another day with these stinking Italians. Alec and Jane are really getting on my nerves. Felix is so full of questions, I'm surprised he can stuff them all up in his pea-sized brain. Chelsea's always suspicious of me, sneaking around all the time. And don't even get me started on Aro._

He laughed, amused. _We've acquired almost twenty vampires by now. Emmett and I are tracking a nomad called Ceyrus now. Apparently, he has a grudge against the Volturi for destroying his coven of two. His ability is going to be very useful, too._

_What does he do?_

_His ability is a lot like Siobhan's. You know her, of course. But Ceyrus' one is a lot more powerful than her's. His power is going to be useful._

_Okay, so until now, you all got—_

_Four trackers, nine shields, one multi-path, one empath and a future-seer. The rest are all normal. _

_Do those count us?_

_No. If I include us, we get four trackers, ten shields, two multi-paths, two empaths and two future-seers. _

I was highly impressed. _Wow. And we're counting the Denalis as part of us, right?_

**A/N: A short notice— Here in my story, Tanya does NOT have a crush on Edward. Yayy! **

Edward nodded. _Yes, love. _

_Perfect! _My suddenly excited mood ebbed away. _When do you think you'll be ready? I hate being apart from you…its painful._

His smile vanished too, and his mind took up a hint of intense agony. _A few more weeks, love. I detest this situation too. Just be patient, Bella. Alice sees a few other immortals and four or five more covens. After that, Carlisle and I are going to Romania. We'll be ready then. _

_Aro has heard about this, you know, _I warned him. _He's not particularly concerned about it, but it's on his mind. _

_Alice hasn't seen anything about his immediate intervention, _Edward said thoughtfully. _But he _will _come investigating when we're set. The whole Guard is going to come. Including you. _

I grinned. _And when I'll walk over to you and turn against him? _

He laughed loudly. _His face is going to be scene to see!_

We chattered lovingly until the morning turned into afternoon. It was getting uncomfortably hot again, and I swiftly manipulated the weather to my liking, conjuring up a light rain which clouded the sky completely. Hours rolled by lazily as Edward and I discussed strategy, talked about Alice and the others. Heidi's depression was swiftly changing into acceptance and anticipation for my return, which Alice was estimating at only a month away.

The time delay sounded like lifetimes in hell to me when Edward told me. In normal times, a month would have seemed like a ridiculously short time to me. But now, I was living with my worst enemies in Volterra, thousands of miles away from every single person I treasured the most in the world. Now, a month seemed equal to a thousand decades, filled with nothing but suffering and loneliness. Edward quickly changed the subject when he saw my distress, for which I was very grateful. But eventually, we had to say our goodbyes.

I jumped straight down from the tree, plunging through the air at a bone-crushing speed. Just before I hit the ground (the impact would have shattered my bones completely, thanks to Jane) I contracted the air around me and I slowed before my feet touched the soft loam surrounding the tree. I wasn't in the mood for running, so I simply shot up straight into the air and flew to where I'd parked my Ferrari. I climbed in and drove back to Volterra.

Felix and Renata were waiting for me at the gate when I got back to the castle. Felix still looked a little grumpy. I laughed as I got out of the car.

"Bella," Renata said as soon as I reached them. "Aro wants to talk to you. It's serious."

I frowned but nodded. They followed behind me as I walked toward the Throne Hall. That's usually where Aro, Marcus and Caius sat during the daylight hours. The doors were open, and I froze. The wives were also there.

Sulpicia and Athendora were the famous wives. Before now, I had never seen them before. As was normal with every immortal, they were both incredibly beautiful and graceful, though nothing compared to Heidi and Rosalie. Sulpicia was seated beside Caius, holding his hand and looking down at her lap. Athendora, Aro's wife, was seated on Aro's right, dressed in a beautiful mahogany gown with gold thread woven into intricately exquisite designs. Both of them were very quiet.

Aro looked away from Athendora when I entered. "Bella, darling! You've returned."

"Of course, Aro," I said dutifully. I saw Demetri shoot a disapproving glare at me; I rolled my eyes. I was never going to address Aro as "Master", no matter what he did.

"We have just received some very disturbing news from our group in Canada," Caius told me grimly. "The Romanians are assembling an army to strike against us."

_Not Romanians, _I corrected him mentally. _My family. They're convincing the Romanians. _"So we're going to attack them?"

"They are not ready yet," Aro told me. And for once, his voice was unexcited. "And we will not attack them until they are; we're not unfair and unjustified."

My temper flared when he spoke of justice. Was it justice when he forced me to tear away from my family? Was it justice when Jane attacked me? Was it _justice _when my sister had to part with me for my own safety? But I quickly reigned my anger in; Aro will get his punishment soon enough. Already the Cullens had gathered enough immortals to severely outnumber the Volturi, and they were getting more. This war was won before it had even begun.

"Of course not," I lied smoothly. "We're anything but."

Caius nodded. "But they've already collected a large number of immortals against us. This is going to be a difficult fight."

"We are unstoppable, Caius," I said perfectly. "We're invincible, untouchable! They are going to lose this. This is a war won before it began." It was infuriating to support them. So, to console myself, I simply added the word 'Cullens' to every "we" and "us" in my mind. My voice was much easier to use when I did that.

Caius was, for the first time, pleased with me. "Thank you. I completely agree with you, Bella. Of course. But we have to be cautious."

Caius and Aro discussed their plans and ideas while the wives and Marcus remained silent and motionless. I wondered what they were thinking, but refused to enter their heads; I would have to loosen my shield and Jane might use the distraction to attack me. I was already weak enough. I didn't need any more.

I excused myself after a few minutes and retreated back into my room to prepare for the night. Evening was already falling around the castle, and the storm I had conjured up was abating slowly. I climbed up the spiral stairs that led to my room and closed the door behind me. I gazed at Edward's picture for a long time, taking in his marvelous features…his glowing golden eyes. He was truly an angel. It took some effort to tear my eyes off his picture and grab some nightclothes. After I was ready, I walked over to the window and stared outside into the darkening night.

The view from my tower was great. I could see almost all of Volterra from there. With my enhanced vision, darkness wasn't a problem. I watched the humans hurry home for the night. I saw mothers appear on the doorstep to call their children inside. I watched friends wave goodbye as they parted. I heard cries of babies as they were carried indoors. I watched the birds head back to their nests, and I felt, for the first time since coming here, peaceful.

A young girl with knee-length wavy hair cross the main road and waved happily to her mother. The mom, her face smiling, waved back and gestured her to come inside. I sighed.

What would I have been if my own mother had been alive? Would I have been the same girl I am now? My life, undoubtedly, would have been drastically different. And daddy? Oh, it would have been so nice to introduce him to Edward. He would have approved, of course, anyone in their right minds would. He could have walked me down the aisle at our wedding, and placed my hand in Edward's…Life would have been so different…

A fresh little breeze blew on my face and I sighed again. How I longed for Edward…

Suddenly, I felt as if someone were watching me. I scanned the surrounding area, but couldn't see anyone's eyes focused on me. I was still afraid to loosen my shield around the castle, so I didn't sweep the city mentally. But the feeling remained trained on me. I looked at all the streets and roads, but they were almost completely empty at this late hour…

A flash of familiar golden eyes.

I froze. I knew those eyes. I'd looked into them countless times…I looked everywhere again, but I couldn't see those beloved eyes again. I laughed at myself. Of course he wasn't here. He was in Texas now, with Emmett. But I was so sure I'd seen his eyes here…

There! I saw it again!

This time, I found it. A lone figure was standing on one of the nearby roof of a house about two hundred yards from the castle. From its perfect stillness, I knew it was a vampire. But it was my vampire…

"Edward!" I cried out in shock.

Quickly regaining my head, I did a quick mental work. I made sure I still had my shield on, but I thrust my mind forward, straight to the beautiful figure standing on the roof with his eyes on me, loving and awestruck. It couldn't be Edward. It just couldn't be! Of course not!

EPOV

I silently climbed to the roof of the house I had selected. The humans who owned it were deeply asleep, but I was still careful enough to make sure I made no sound. I climbed to the top and stood there, gazing at the Volturi Castle. I could hear the minds of the immortals in it, but I was concentrating so hard on the one tower I knew Bella was in that I couldn't hear what they were thinking about. I stood there for a mere thirty minutes before the love of my life, the being who held my soul, came to the window.

She was exquisite. Her hair, damp from a recent shower, waved around her perfect face in a halo of brilliance. She sighed and placed her elbows on the window's sill and rested her face on it, her fingers folded under her chin. I could only stare at my angel.

She was still breathtakingly, almost painfully beautiful. But I knew her well enough to note the terrible sadness and despair in her eyes; the crushing grief and longing in the way she held herself. For the millionth time, I wished I could hear her thoughts. But they were plain enough on her face now.

She gazed at the surely wonderful view of the city she had from her window. I knew she hadn't seen me in my position yet. I didn't move an inch, wanting to surprise her. This was terribly risky, but just seeing her again would be worth it.

Bella stared at the city for a long time, seeming peaceful but crushingly lonely at the same time. She smiled a little when a young girl I could hear not far away from me reached home to her mother. And I knew Bella was thinking about her own parents. There were tears glistening in her eyes, but she quickly dismissed them, brushing them away impatiently. That's my Bella—never any time for herself.

Suddenly, she froze. A little frown creased her forehead, and her eyes swept across the city, but never passed close to me. I knew she had sensed me near her. She kept on searching, her eyes darting everywhere. Twice, they passed right over me, but she didn't notice. She began to relax, perhaps convincing herself that she was just imagining things. But then she stiffened again. This time, her search was more concentrated.

A look of intense shock and surprise shot across her face when her eyes found mine. She stared at me for a long time, as if trying to see if it was really me or not. Her eyes began to glow with passion, and I felt so happy I was sure my heart was going to start beating again. It was hard to just stand here and look at her, but the pleasure was so overpowering, I couldn't do anything but gaze back into her eyes, my body flooding with relief and love. I thought I might die from the sensation.

_Edward? Is that you?_

I didn't bother to reply mentally. "Yes, love. I'm here." I knew she could hear me. Her eyes widened and pooled over with tears.

_Why are you here? _How _are you here?_

I was a little smug. Lying to her this afternoon had been very difficult, seeing that she could read my mind. "We're ready, Bella. We have brought together twenty-five vampires who are ready to fight against the Volturi. The Romanians are also prepared. Everyone is waiting for you in Forks. The fight is going to be held in the baseball field there."

_But you told me…_she was speechless.

I mentally ran through what I had done during our conversation. Her eyes became huge, her expression grateful beyond words.

"And you're going to come down to me now," I said pleadingly. "I can't stand to wait anymore to hold you close again."

Her tears overflowed as she nodded eagerly. _Give me two minutes! _She disappeared from the window and I couldn't see her anymore. But I heard her rush into the bathroom and hurriedly change her clothes. She darted down the stairs quickly, her mind frantic and excited. Almost hyper.

Relief overwhelmed me. Within only a few minutes, Bella was going to tell Aro that she was leaving him. Alice had seen that Aro would be too shocked and surprised to stop her. And then the two of us would go back home. Together forever evermore…

* * *

The sealed portcullis at the castle's exit screeched open. I was standing just ten yards away from it, waiting for my angel to come back to my arms, where she belonged. And she was standing just behind the metal framework. Our eyes were fixed on each other, conveying eternal love for each other. I was almost shaking with relief. She broke into a run as soon as the portcullis was out of the way. She ran straight into my outstretched arms, and I folded my angel in my body.

Her scent filled my nostrils and happiness numbed my mind. It was so relieving to have her back in my arms, safe and sound. To hear her pulse and smell her intoxicating aroma. To know that she was safe and happy with me again and there was no more distance between us anymore.

We held that position for a full fifteen minutes, rejoicing at our reunion, our closeness. Our relief. Slowly, I slid my finger under her chin and pressed my lips to hers.

Happiness reentered our lives again, and it was bliss and peaceful beyond what I could have ever imagined. All the agony, the pain, the regret and the loneliness was washed away in a tidal wave of joy when I touched Bella, to be replaced by nothing but peace and love.

We were one again. One whole being…

"I love you," Bella murmured breathlessly.

I pulled back and smiled at her, losing myself in her depthless brown eyes. "I love you too."

**A/N: I'm so glad they're back together again. It was quite painful to separate them from each other. But all's not well. Aro's reaction to Bella's 'betrayal' would be to attack and destroy the Cullens. Imagine his surprise when he'll find a small army waiting for him there! But that's two more chapters later. The next will be about the welcome Bella will get when she returns to the Cullens in Forks. (Charlie doesn't know they're there), and Bella's introduction to the group they have assembled there. **

**Be warned, there'll be some familiar characters!**

**XOXO!**

**Secrets of the Dark!**


	16. Home and New Friends

**Oh, God, I'm so glad they're back together again. It was seriously painful to keep them apart. Its serious relief to have them as one again. Phew! wipes forehead with a hand* Oh, and before I forget, I copied the cottage part and the description of the new vampires from Breaking Dawn. No copyright violation was intended, of course. I did change a few stuff, but I hope the idea was expressed properly. **

**Anyways, on with the story...**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND ARE OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 16: Home and New Friends

BPOV

I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings, the majority of my attention was centered on the face of the breathtaking angel who was holding my hand as he drove through the dark, windy streets of Volterra, towards Florence to catch a flight home.

Home. What an unusual word! Just the sound sent flutters through my stomach, making me anticipate the moment where I could see my brothers and sisters again. I missed Emmett and his bouncy self, I miss Alice's constant excitement, I missed Jasper's calm demeanor, I miss Esme's gentle affection, I missed Heidi's caring nature, I missed Rosalie's ever-present smiles, I missed Carlisle's comfort and happiness.

I missed my family.

But it was nothing compared to how much I loved Edward. The part of my body that was touching him seemed more alive than any other part. Strong waves of electricity trailed in the air between us, and neither of us could keep the look of joy and relief and pure happiness off our eyes.

Throughout the entire journey to Florence, the two-hour wait in the airport and the six-hour flight back to Forks, our minds were open to each other. Both of us were too pleased and delighted to be back together again to speak coherently, and the only way to express ourselves seemed to enter each other's minds and share our joy and pleasure as one. We were back the way we were supposed to be: together and happy.

"Happy" didn't even cover it. This was beyond pleasure, beyond relief. It felt like a large part of my soul has gone missing when I'd left; and now I've gotten it back. I felt whole and real and..._alive. _The feeling was so intense and deep, it flew through my body, sending waves of joy and happiness throughout my existence. This closeness felt too good to be real; but the problem was that it _was _real. This truly was happening.

"I missed you," Edward murmured, pressing a light kiss on my forehead.

"Not more than I you," I teased, grinning.

"Impossible."

"Perfectly possible. I love you."

"Not more than me."

"Impossible!"

He laughed, his eyes glowing. The lights on the plane were dimmed by now, and most of the passengers were asleep. Knowing that we were already attracting too much attention, we kept out voices to loving whispers too low for human ears.

I frowned and caressed the dark purple circles around his flat-black eyes. "You need to hunt."

"So do you," he smiled gently.

I was surprised. "How did you know?"

"I know you better than I know myself," he laughed.

I smiled gratefully. Being around so many humans, being surrounded by blood-filled beings, was making me extremely uncomfortable, and I squirmed in my seat, wishing for a place for private and less human-occupied. He wrapped his arms, ever so gently, around me and pulled me close. I buried my face in his chest and took the deep breath, his sweet clear scent resounding throughout my being.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"My pleasure." He chuckled. _Indeed my pleasure. It was pure agony, this past two months. _

_Doesn't seem like two months, _I thought. _Seems more than two centuries. _

_Too true...now sleep. You need your rest. _He began to hum my lullaby, coaxing me into the most restful and relaxed sleep I've had in a really long time.

My mind wandered everywhere. I dreamt of Alice and Rosalie and Heidi...I envisioned playful games with Emmett and Jasper...I imagined perfect days spent with Esme and Carlisle...Life was perfect and right once more. I was back to where I belonged.

* * *

The plane touched down in my hometown smoothly, and my heartbeat, naturally too fast and crazed for humans, raced into a rapid pulse with excitement and anticipation. I was jumping up and down in my seat, impatient to see my family once more. The long line to the exit seemed endless, and the slow speed of the human helpers frustrated me to no end. Edward had an overjoyed smile sculpted into his too-perfect face.

"Patience, love," he murmured. I sighed and stopped my fidgeting.

"Why can't they hurry up?" I complained, exasperated.

"Because they're human."

"Ugh!" I groaned. He chuckled and kissed me lightly.

I ignored all the stares and wide-eyes Edward and I received as we ran at a brisk human pace toward the exit where I could hear my family and their eager thoughts. Human thoughts were always louder than the sweet minds of immortals. Right now, most of them were trained on us.

A brunette with stunningly blue eyes was staring at me and Edward. _Oh my gosh, that had to be the most perfect couple I've ever seen. The girl's gorgeous...oh, yum, look at the guy! _I fought back a growl at her lusty thoughts about my Edward.

_Oh, goodness! For the love of Mary, look at that chick! She's _hot. _Compare _her _with Lizzy? Yuck. _I winced, uncomfortable.

I promptly blocked our the humans and concentrated with all my energy on my family. Just sensing them felt great.

_Oh, I miss Bella...where _is_ she? _Ever impatient Heidi.

_Here! Thank goodness she's safe. _Esme, of course.

_Yayy! Races and fights again!_ Emmett.

_Ah, my sister is back._ Rosalie was smiling widely, dazzling several humans near her.

_I missed my daughter. Holy, at least she is back safe and sound. _Carlisle's mind was almost incoherent with relief.

_Ah, I can feel her again. I missed her. _Jasper grinned when he felt my happiness and excitement.

_Bell! Yayy! _Alice, of course. She was bouncing around with joy.

I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed Edward's hand and made a run for it, too fast for humans to notice other than the whoosh of wind as we passed them. Edward grinned widely at my excitement, laughing as we both ran towards our family.

I threw myself in Esme's arms, who held my close and kissed my cheek loving. Rosalie, Alice and Heidi soon overwhelmed me with hugs and kisses. Emmett picked me and swung me around in a delighted circle, making Carlisle and Edward laugh. Jasper came over and pulled me into a close embrace, smiling happily.

"I'm glad you're back," he told me as he put me down (my height made him stoop down low). "You won't believe how depressed everyone became. I missed you; your joy was always infectious for all of us."

I laughed. Before I could reply, Emmett laughed his echoing tones.

"Ha! Thank God you're back! Eddy-kins here hasn't smiled since you left two months back!" he said, his voice vibrating inside me.

"Don't call me Eddy-kins," Edward growled, annoyed.

"Fine, Deadward," Emmett grinned mischievously.

I giggled, delighted. "Stop it, you two. Yes, Emmett, I missed you too."

"Ha! Told ya!" the hulking teddy-bear nudged Rose, who smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. I laughed again.

Carlisle, the ever doctor, noted my weary stance. "Bella, dear, you need to sleep. You're very tired."

I stifled a yawn. "No I'm not."

Jasper chuckled. "Of course you're not."

"Come on, you need your rest," Heidi said and towed me toward the parking lot.

I laughed loudly as I heard the boys argue over who got to sit next to me. In the end, we all got squashed into Carlisle's Mercedes. Emmett, Heidi, Edward and I got in the back seats (with great difficulty), while Esme, Alice, Jasper and Carlisle squeezed into the front row. We laughed, joked and sang all the way to Forks.

I didn't realized I'd fallen asleep until the car stopped in front of the ever-familiar mansion hidden deep in the forest. I woke up with a start, surprised to find myself on Edward's lap, his arms around me, his chin resting on my head and hair. I smiled in satisfaction. We trooped out of the house, and my nose was immediately assaulted by the trails and scents left by vampires.

Edward noticed when I stiffened in surprise and rubbed my back soothingly. "Our troops, remember?"

Oh, right. "Of course. Sorry. Where are they?" I was too tired to reach out mentally and 'touch' them.

"Scattered around," Edward shrugged. "They know you're back, but they want you to rest and settle back down before you meet them. You might drop asleep halfway through introduction."

I nodded; he was right. He caught my body as I swayed with sleep.

"Esme built us a house nearby," he said in answer to my questioning look as he carried me bridal style into the forest.

A huge yawn interrupted my surprised statement. "aaah...Really? Wow."

"You'll see." Edward grinned and continued on his to the mystery house.

He set me down on my feet abruptly and covered my eyes with his hands. "Stay out of my head, don't ruin the surprise. Trust me, it will be worth it."

I grinned, eager to find out what he was so excited about.

We walked, blind in my case, for a few more yards before stopping unexpectedly. There was an unusual assortment of odors there that spikes my interest. Edward gently lifted his hand and I gasped in surprise.

I stared into the violet dark. There, nestled into a small clearing in the forest, was a tiny stone cottage, lavender gray in the light of the stars. It belonged here so absolutely that it seemed as if it must have grown from the rock, a natural formation. Honeysuckle climbed up one wall like a lattice, winding all the way up and over the thick wooden shingles. Late summer roses bloomed in the handkerchief-sizes garden under the dark, deep-set windows. There was a little path of flat smooth stones, amethyst in the night, that led up to the quaint arched wooden door.

"Esme thought we might like a place of our own for a while," Edward murmured softly. "And she loves any excuse to renovate. This little place has been crumbling out here for a hundred years."

I continued staring, mouth open like a fish.

"If you don't like it, we could fix it up differently," Edward continued, a note of worry in his voice. "Esme thought you'd like it best the way it was supposed to like originally. Emmett wanted towards, almost a castle, but Heid and Alice suggested—"

"Shh!" I managed.

He pressed his lips together and waited. I took me a few seconds to recover.

"You're giving me a house as a homecoming present?" I whispered breathlessly.

"Us," he corrected me. "And its no more than a cottage. I think the word 'house' implies more legroom."

"No knocking my house," I whispered to him.

He beamed brightly. "You like it."

I shook my head. "I _love _it."

He laughed. "I have to warn you, Alice made the closet—its bigger than our bedroom."

I gulped.

"Want to come and explore?" he suggested, his smile mischievous.

That was all it took to make the house disappear. We could have been anywhere. I didn't see the house or the trees or the stones. It was just Edward; nothing else existed.

He took my hand and pulled me toward the door. He opened his fist and handed me a small gold and silver key with a soft satiny bow tied to it. I smiled. I took it and inserted it into the lock. The door swung open, helped by a light breeze at just the right moment. Everything felt like a fairytale. I tore my eyes away from Edward and stared into the living room before me, my eyes wide with shock.

The cottage room was something from a fairy tale. The floor was crazy quilt of smooth, flat stones. The low ceiling had exposed beams that Emmett might hit his head on if he weren't careful. The walls were warm wood in some paces, stone mosaic in others. The beehive fireplace in the corner held the remains of a slow flickering fire. It was driftwood burning there—the low flames were blue and green from the salt.

It was furnished in eclectic pieces, not one of them matching another, but harmonious just the same. One chair seemed vaguely medieval, while a low ottoman by the fire was more contemporary and the stocked bookshelf again the far window reminded me of movies set in Europe. Somehow each piece fit together like a corresponding puzzle. There were a few paintings on the walls that I recognized—some of my very favorites from the main house.

Priceless originals, no doubt, but they seemed to belong here like everything else.

It was a place where anyone could believe magic existed. A place where you just expected Snow White to walk right in with her apple in hand, or a unicorn to stop and nibble at the rosebushes outside.

"I'm sure you're dying to see the closet. Or, at least I'll tell Alice that you were, to make her feel good," Edward stated, his eyes on me.

"Should I be afraid?"

"Terrified."

He picked me up again and carried me down a narrow stone hallway with tiny arches in the celing, like our own miniature little castle.

"Here's our room." He nudged a pale wooden door and it swung open.

The bed was huge and white, with clouds of gossamer floating down from the canopy to the floor. The pale wood floor matched the other room, and now I grasped that it was preciesely the color of a pristine beach. The walls were that almost-white-blue of a brilliant sunny day, and the back wall had big glass doors that opened into a little hidden garden. Climbing roses and a small round pond, smooth as a mirror as edged with shiny stones. A tiny calm ocean for us.

"Oh" was all I could say.

"I know," he whispered. He smiled a wide, gleaming smiled and then laughed. "The closet is through those double doors. I should warn you—it's bigger than this room."

I lost myself in his eyes, in his velvet voice. I grabbed him and pulled him close, our lips moving in synchronization.

An immense relief filled me at his electric touch. Relief, joy, happiness, strength...that's all I was now...

* * *

I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had for two excruciating months. And, for once, there was no feeling of foreboding with the arrival of morning, no depression, no anger. Just the feeling of Edward next to me, just feeling the wonder sweep through my insides.

I knew that he knew that I was awake. He chuckled softly. "Good morning, angel."

I refused to open my eyes; I felt too great. "'Good' is a bit of an understatement, don't you think?"

"I can't find a good enough word. So I settled for good."

I laughed, and opened my eyes. For a moment, I was confused. The ceiling I was staring in was painted with the scene of a brilliant crimson sunset. Every detail was so clear and perfect for a moment I thought the scene was real. I gasped in shock as the last memories of the night flooded in me. Of course, I was in the cottage.

"Wow..." I managed to say.

Edward, his eyes never straying off my face, smiled. "Alice and Heidi did the painting. Nice, don't you think. Heidi mentioned you're a great artist. I never knew that."

My eyebrows rose. "I never told you that? Daddy was super-duper at painting and coloring and stuff. He taught us."

A light knock on the front door interrupted Edward's reply. He stood up, taking me with him.

"Uh-oh, its Alice," he warned me. "You better grab some version of her idea of clothes; she might throw a hissy fit, love. The closet is through those doors."

I nodded in a hurry and darted into the closet. I threw the doors out of my way, planning to grab the first set of attire I would see. But the sight made me freeze.

"What on Earth...?" I hissed, shocked.

A silvery laugh behind me made me spin and watch my tiny pixie sister laugh.

"Hey, Bells!" Alice giggled.

"What the hell did you do?" I asked.

"I fixed your closet." She shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I ran my eyes over the huge area, trying to find one _proper _article of clothing. The room really was bigger than the bedroom. It might have been bigger than the rest of the house put together, but I'll have to pace it off to be sure. Everything was wrapped in garment bags, pristine and white, row after row after row.

"All of this stuff is mine?" I whispered.

"To the best of my knowledge," Edward said, appearing at my side. "Everything but this rack here"—he touched a bar that stretched along the half-wall to the left of the door—"is yours."

"All of this?" I demanded of Alice, who giggled again.

"Well, duh!" Alice said happily. "You need to learn more about fashion, Bells. Now, you. Out." She grabbed Edward's hand and towed him away from the closet and closed the door. "Stay out of my head. Don't ruin the surprise!"

I gulped. This was not good.

I emerged from the closet, breathless. Alice's constant bouncing had drained my energy. Edward, who was sitting on the Renaissance couch in the living room holding a book, looked up the moment I entered the room. His eyes bulged out when he saw my attires.

The dress was softly frilly, hanging very very low and off the shoulders, with long draping sleeves that gathered at the wrists. The sheer bodice was girdled by another, paled-flowered, hyacinth fabric, that pleated together to form a thin ruffle down the left side. The flowered material was long in the back, but open in the front over several fitted layers of soft hyacinth ruffles, lightening in shade as they reached the tea-length bottom hem. The almost completely see-through top was covered by a corset which looked ominous and scary.

He darted to my side and took my hand, his eyes still wide. He gathered my right wrist in his hand and sniffed deeply. "It _is _you."

"I told you so," Alice said gleefully. "Now come on! Our guests are waiting."

"Why can't I wear my jeans?" I pleaded. She rolled her eyes.

"I'll give them a warning you're on your way," she said, ignoring me. "Stay on the trail. Don't tear anything. Make sure there's no dirt on your dress. And _smile."_

She bounced out of the cottage, grinning triumphantly. Edward and I sighed at the same time. He pulled me in, pressed an electric kiss on my forehead, and we ran out of the house together, hand in hand. Alice was already at the big house; I could feel her in the air.

"You look..." Edward seemed lost for words. "Unreal."

I smiled. He liked it; so I'll put with Alice this time. This time only, though. He grinned at me, his eyes glowing with passion, as we flew through the forest. I frowned a little when I _felt _the weather; it was going to rain today. Alice would murder me if I got the dress wet. I quickly flexed my inner muscle, covering the sky with a thick layer of clouds, but made sure there would be no rain.

"I'll never understand how you do that," Edward murmured.

"Girl's got to keep her secrets," I teased him. He laughed, bell-like tones echoing off the mossy trees.

We emerged at the same second in the large clearing that was the lawn. The unfamiliar vampire scents filled my nostrils again. I shifted uncomfortably, nestling in deeper in my shield. I knew all of them were harmless, but I was still wary. Edward, as usual, noticed my caution and squeezing my hand.

"They're in the family lounge," he stated. I nodded nervously. "Bells, they're all friends. No one will harm you."

"Its not me I'm worried about," I whispered. "Its our family. You."

"Friends," he reminded me, smiling gently. I nodded; if he trusted them, I would too.

* * *

"This is Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri," Edward introduced. "The Amazon coven. Zafrina's a very gifted illusionist." The Amazonians' elongated features scared me a little, but they were welcoming and warm.

"Its wonderful to meet you, Bella," Senna said. "We've all heard so much about you and your wonderful powers. We anticipate the time we can rid the world of the Volturi."

"Thank you," I said. "Its great to meet you too."

"These are the Denalis," Edward continued, gesturing toward a group of six vampires. Most of them were female. "That's Tanya, Kate, Irina, Laurent, Eleazar and Carmen. Eleazar and Kate are really gifted; Kate can shock you and Eleazar can sense others' abilities."

"Wow," I whispered. I held my palm out to Kate. "Can I try?"

Kate, a stunningly beautiful woman with long hair the color of honey, grinned. "I doubt I can hurt you, you're a mental shield."

"It can't hurt to try," I grinned.

She laughed. "Okay, child." She lightly pressed her first three fingers to my palm. I waited for a few seconds for the pain, but felt nothing except her icy touch.

Her eyebrows rose. "That's the first time I've met someone immune to me." The room burst into applause; apparently, all of them had been shocked by Kate before and been hurt quite a bit. I laughed too. Eleazar, who was holding Carmen's hand, was staring intently at me. He winced and shook his head.

"Are you alright?" Carmen said anxiously.

"She has so many powers," Eleazar explained, relaxing again. "Its hard to grasp it all. Bella, would you like to demonstrate your weather-control for us, please?"

I smiled warmly. "Of course." I looked around the crowded room for something to feel and pick up. A row of around eight or so flower-vases were set on a table in a straight line. I pulled and prodded at them with the air until they rose a perfect four feet in the air. The vampires gasped in shock. A little smug, I made each of the crystal vases hover in front of different vampires and drop gently on their surprised hands. The females giggled in delight.

Eleazar nodded, his eyes wide. "Wow..."

Edward, looking extremely proud, gestured toward other immortals and we continued our introduction.

I met the Egyptian coven: Amun and Kebi, Benjamin and Tia. Benjamin and I shared a similar ability (weather-control) though he had others too. He controlled the elements: earth, air, water and fire. It was fascinating, and we practiced our similar abilities together. Tia, his mate, was a very interesting woman who took a strange delight in teaching me gardening, for some reason. I did enjoy her lessons, though. Amun and Kebi were a little wary of me since I was the first half-breed they'd seen. I understood their caution of the unknown, but they could have been a little nicer.

I met the Romanians too. They looked a lot like the Volturi, with their crimson eyes and papery skin. They kept to themselves, muttering about plans and strategy. I was slightly intimidated by them, staying of their way as much as possible; they reminded me too much of the Volturi and that brought terrible memories I had no wish to relive.

I was introduced to the American nomads as well. Garrett, a strangely excitable adventurer, delighted in taking challenges of any sort; so, naturally, Emmett and he began the best of friends. The greatest surprise came when Kate and Garrett fell in love—Tanya was delighted. Mary and Randall were nomads who had met on the way and came together as friends. They were physical shields, with a hint of mental too. I bonded with them immediately. Then there was James and Victoria. Victoria had power of evading attack, while her mate James was an efficient tracker. They were a really interesting couple.

And then there was Charles and Makenna, the former with the gift of detecting lies while the latter was an empath capable of crippling anyone with compassion and pity. Jasper and Makenna became quite good friends, though no one except Garrett was willing to be their guinea pig.

The Irish coven was fascinating as well. Maggie was a lie-detector like Charles, while Liam had a future-seeing ability like Alice, though more potent. Alice and Liam together drove Edward crazy with their constant competitions of who could get the most visions; my poor husband had to watch their flashes repeatedly and eventually chased them out of the house when they began their silly games. Liam's mate, Siobhan, was an enormous woman with an incredible talent to bringing to life whatever she wanted. Like, if she wanted Liam and Maggie to be better friends, within three days, it would happen. She could _think _things into existence.

These immortals were the main ones. We had others, like Ceyrus, with a Siobhan-like ability (though less potent), and two Indians: Karan and Priya. These two were non-gifted and siblings, aged just fourteen when they were bitten. And of course, we had Jackie (a Chinese vamp who was smaller than Alice) and Xing, a bouncy little thing with bright red hair that looking alarmingly like fire. Altogether, we had almost thirty vampires living in the mansion.

All of us felt sure that in the incoming fight, not everyone will survive. We spent our days practicing our abilities, preparing (drinking animal or human blood according to diet) and wrestling, in the cases of Garrett and Emmett and, occasionally, Liam and Jasper.

I knew that this was the largest gathering of friendly vampires, aside from the Volturi, in the history of immortals, and this knowledge greatly boosted our confidence. Liam and Alice were constantly searching for the future, trying to find out who would perish, who would survive. But their visions and feelings were greatly hindered by my presence, since neither of them could see anything with me around. And I had to be around—I was practicing my powers, learning to fight with Garrett, Emmett and Edward, and otherwise, entertaining my new friends.

Days passed, sometimes in tension, something in fun. Life seemed alright again, but all of us knew that the clouds of war were gathering. Rapidly. And some of us will not emerge. And this realization was heavy on my heart with worry: worry for my family, for my new friends...for Edward. I would fight to the death to make sure no one would be harmed. If needed, I would leave them all behind again to make sure no one was touched. But could I survive again without my soul? Without...Edward?

**A/N: Hey, hey, hey! I'm back to editing _Living like a Star! _I'm so sorry for the late update (my computer crashed), but don't worry, I'll be adding chapters every few days from now on! Hope you liked this chapter. The next will be more about the new vamps, Bella and of course, our darling Edward. Stay tuned, and PLEASE review!!**

**XOXO!**

**Secrets of the Dark.**


	17. Anticipation

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND ARE OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 17: Anticipation

BPOV

Days buzzed by. Daylight hours were spent hunting, playing, practicing and just joking and laughing with my new friends. Evenings and nights were spent with Edward, talking, chattering, making up for the painful two months which had kept us apart. Both of us became very sensitive talking about that dark time, and our friends and family learnt not to mention it.

I couldn't completely escape from the memories, though. My first few weeks were constantly disrupted with nightly dreams of the Volturi ganging up on me. I would wake screaming in the middle of the night. Heidi and Edward were always there for me, soothing me and telling me everything was fine. The nightmares continued for weeks, but decreased gradually until they were almost gone. But worse than the dreams was Edward's pain when I jolted awake. His face would be twisted in agony, but his eyes would be dark.

"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!" I had whispered on my third week as I had jolted awake yet again.

"What are you apologizing for, love?" he'd asked, confused. The pain in his eyes had been raw and burning.

Unable to stop the shaking fear, I'd whipped off my shield and let him in. He'd smiled at me when he'd seen why I was feeling so immensely guilty.

"Love, this isn't your fault," he had said gently, pulling me closer. But then his voice became rougher and his eyes tightened. "But they _will _pay for disrupting our perfect life. Don't worry, love, I'll make them suffer for each second of those months."

Although I knew it was extremely dangerous, his words still had soothed me. I knew as long as I was in Edward's arms, I would be safe. But who was protecting my protector? I trusted his brothers and our new friends to make sure Edward remained unharmed; I, myself, was going to make sure he was constantly wrapped in my shield, and there would always be a toughened layer of impenetrable air around him. But would it be enough?

The mental connection between wasn't yet severed, and he had heard my concerns.

"Bella, don't you dare waste time worrying about me," he had said, frowning. "You are allowed to think about you and only you. Do you understand, Isabella?"

_But how can I not think about half my soul? _I had said.

He smiled.

But all wasn't dark and nightmarish. Daylight hours became the best times of the day. I spent my time racing with Garrett and Emmett, learning how to fight with air with Benjamin, getting lessons about gardening from Tia, gossiping and listening to incredible Indian tales from Karan and Priya, helping Esme around the house, laughing and joking with Alice and Jasper, and mostly, staying close to Edward. Carlisle, Siobhan and Ceyrus threw themselves into research. They were determined to learn more about my nature. We knew I was immortal, but everyone was curious about me too.

Edward, in particular, devoured anything that had to do with me. I decided to tease them all, and refused to join them in research. Every time they found something new, they'd come to me and say, "So, Bella, is this true?" I'd tinkle a laugh and say, "I don't know." whether I knew it or not.

"Aw, come on, Bells!" Ceyrus whined one day. "Pick a straight answer!"

"I honestly don't know whether I can hold my breath for nine hours or not," I said, trying my best to keep a straight face.

Edward, on the other hand, knew the answer. We'd found out on our deep-sea diving escapade. He leaned on the wall beside me casually and grinned widely as Ceyrus and I argued over this.

"Aw, come on!" he said, tugging on my hand. "tell us!"

"Pwease?" Priya said, making up her famous puppy-dog eyes. "Pwease tell us, Bella? Please?"

I giggled. "No way!"

She huffed, pretending to be hurt, and stomped away. Before she could go four steps, I tossed her tiny figure up nine feet into the air.

"Eeep!" she shrieked, shocked.

Alice and I fought back our giggled as I gently descended her down towards the ground. Her brother, Karan, watched with awed eyes as his sister landed lightly on her feet just beside him.

"Oh, Ganesh!" she swore. "Parvati-ma! You totally scared me, Isabella!"

I laughed. "Now you'll know never to try and persuade me again." She huffed and stomped away again, this time slower, wary if I tossed her up in the air again. Edward chuckled.

A few days later, Benjamin and I decided to try on a firefight. Edward was very anxious and resistant, but the two of us showed me him that we were both wrapped in Mary and Randall's shields. He knew, of course, that once Mary and Randall wrapped someone in their shields, nothing could touch the shielded. Physically, at least. He took comfort in that, while the rest of the vampires made a wide circle around Ben and me.

The two of us danced around each other, avoiding the spurting fire while shooting massive fireballs at the same time. The heat radiating off the flames added to the excitement, and soon all the vampires were cheering or booing. Most of them seemed to be taking my side. I even noticed Stefan and Vladimir watching from an upstairs window.

"Go Bella!" someone cheered, but I was too preoccupied to see who it was.

"Watch out, Ben!" somebody shouted. Tia, I thought.

Edward looked on proudly as I steadily gained the upper hand and Ben was soon pinned to the ground, his expression defeated. He groaned as soon as he realized he'd lost.

"Oh, man!" he complained loudly. "Bella, you're the best fighter I've seen in years."

I grinned triumphantly. "Of course I am."

"Oh, yeah?" I looked up to see Emmett moving toward me, a huge smile plastered on his face. "You wanna try me? Two on one?" Ben and I looked at each other, grinning wickedly.

"Okay, Emmett," I said. "Its on!"

And so it began. Emmett, hulking and surprisingly brawny, was harder to defeat than Ben, but with the two of us working together, we soon overcame him until he eventually gave up. Eventually, as in, four hours into the fight. After that, everyone became eager to fight me. The wrestling and fighting continued for days with large gaps in between (I did need rests and food) and everybody really enjoyed themselves.

That night, Edward said, "I'm so proud of you."

"For what?" I asked, surprised.

"You fought better than anyone I've seen in a really long time."

I felt the blush. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Of course, Heidi and Alice's insatiable thirst for shopping couldn't be tamed, even with the Volturi's arrival only months away. To my horror, one more people were found who loved shopping above themselves: Tanya and Irina. As soon as the word 'shopping' was heard, Tanya, Irina, Heidi and Alice would squeak shrilly and be ready for shopping faster than you could say 'Volturi'.

It seemed every female being, mortal or immortal, had a deeply-set passion for shopping. Turned out, Tia, Siobhan, Zafrina, Kachiri, Priya, Kate and every other female gathered in our house loved shopping as well. And I was dragged along with them with every shopping trip. My closet, despite its giant size, was soon full enough to burst.

"Bells," Heidi announced one day. "Your wardrobe needs to be sorted."

Within seconds, I found myself standing at the doors leading to my huge closet, all females vampires inside, rummaging around my clothes. The pile 'to-be-disposed' was mountain-sized. I briefly wondered if Tenzing Norgay, the human who'd climbed the Everest, would consider climbing this big heap. It looked like a good enough challenge for any adventurer. I found myself considering Garrett and Emmett.

"There, you're done," Alice said finally. Then she frowned, looking at the almost empty closet. "You've got _too _much space leftover...I know! Let's go shopping!" And we were off. I was dressed each day according to a different vampire's wish—never my own. Mondays belonged to Alice, Tuesdays Heidi, Wednesday Tia and Kate, Thursday Tanya and Kachiri, Friday Priya and Irina, and Sunday everyone put together. That's why Sundays soon became the bane of my existence. But Edward seemed to love my different clothes and dresses, so I couldn't resent them too much.

In some days, time seemed to be on fast-forward, racing ahead at a deadly pace, making things blurry but extremely fun. In others, it seemed to have slowed to less than a crawl. The fast times were the ones when everyone was relaxed, laughing and joking. But vampires are not meant to live together in large sociable groups, and arguments (dangerously close to fights) arouse often, making Edward and I extreme tense. If a single fight broke out, the whole group would be divided into two groups.

Together, we stand. Divided, we fall.

Everyone knew that old saying (especially Carlisle, since it was first said in his time). So, naturally, in these tense and fragile moments, we Cullens became the pillars. These events were very rare, but when they did happen, I was the always the most scared. Edward stood by my side, holding my hand and saying that these things were supposed to happen—if they hadn't, he would have been very surprised.

Besides these rare-to-the-point-of-nonexistence brawls, everything was fine. Our adven-twos (Alice and Tanya nicknamed Emmett and Garrett that) were always our constant source of entertainment, taking up any challenge (no matter how silly or childish...or dangerous) and amusing us all the time with their jokes and smiles. Kate and Garrett planned on getting married as soon as possible after 'this Volturi mess' was over, and of course, everyone was invited. I looked forward to it.

When Garrett proposed to Kate, it caused quite a stir. It was one of those quiet days when no one was in the mood for games or practice. Edward, sitting beside me on the couch and watching TV, suddenly had a wide, satisfied smile on his face. I was about to ask him what happened when Alice squeaked excitedly and Liam had an expression quite similar to Edward's.

"What's going on?" I demanded, confused. "Why are you—?"

"Bella! Come outside! Garrett's gonna propose to Kate!" Emmett's booming voice echoed across the big living room. I gasped, a huge smile breaking across my face. I grabbed Edward's hands and we darted outside together. Kate was sitting in a circle with a bunch of females, chattering happily. All of them were oblivious to Garrett standing fifty yards away from them. He looked worried, but there was a hint of determination in his eyes.

For a second, he looked helplessly at me and Edward standing there, watching him. His look clearly said _help _even though I wasn't reading his mind. I smile and nodded encouragingly, while Edward mouthed _Go on, do it! _He took a deep breath, swallowed and began to walk (very, very slowly) toward Kate on the grass.

By now, almost everyone was standing where he had been standing a few seconds ago. He looked back at the eager crowd and sighed, his eyes looking wild. He stopped two feet away from Kate and said, "Um...Kate? Can I...talk to you for a second?"

The other girls, except Kate, took one look at him and was gone within the other second; it was almost too obvious what he was about to do. They all came to stand with us. Everyone was holding their breath, completely silent and not moving a muscle.

"Sure," Kate said, a tiny frown in her forehead—she could see Garrett was extremely nervous, and that was rare. "What do you wanna talk about?"

I could see he was dangerously close to chickening out and changing the topic to something else. I shot him a warning glare, almost daring him to continue. Garrett...well, he never turns down a dare. So he did it.

"Kate, I love you," he whispered. She froze, her mouth open in surprise. "I've never felt anything like this before with anyone. I love you...more than I can ever tell you. I know we vampires aren't really alive, in that sense, but I want us to spend the rest of our time together...if that is what you want. Kate...will you marry me?"

Kate was frozen. I was too excited to reach out and read her mind, but I gained control of myself again.

Her mind was mostly incoherent. _What? Oh...right...well...yes...Garrett...i love you too...marriage?...Oh yes! Yes! Garrett! I love you too! Oh, yes, yes, yes!_

I smiled. She had recovered from the shock. I knew the feeling well, I'd felt quite the same when Edward had proposed to me.

"Oh, Garrett!" she cried happily. "I love you! Oh, yes! Yes, I'll marry you. I love you, too!"

We all broke out into cat-calls and applause, cheering and shouting in excitement. The joy and bliss on the to-be couple's faces was priceless.

The next day, to no one's surprise, Kate and Garrett disappeared for a full day. We all exchanged knowing smiles and nods, but no one spoke aloud. They reappeared at the evening; Kate's left ring finger was occupied by a large diamond ring, and Garrett was holding their marriage certificate proudly. The happiness and excitement was almost a visible aura in the air. Edward and I were delighted. To Alice's satisfaction (and almost unbearable excitement) they asked her to do their wedding when the 'Volturi mess' was over. Of course she agreed.

Everyone lined up to congratulate them, and their mood was euphoric.

Alice and Liam's vision came exactly four days, nine hours and fifteen seconds later. It was around four in the afternoon, and everyone was doing what they usually did at that time: Emmett and Garrett were out adventuring; Tia, Zafrina, Kachiri and Tanya were reading; Alice was chattering and joking with Jasper and Heidi; Esme, Carlisle, Irina and Kate were discussing something to do with their work; and the others were just fooling around. Edward was on his piano—he was composing a new song as a tribute to Kate and Garrett's newly-found love and I was in second-heaven listening to him.

Then, out of nowhere, Alice, Liam and Edward froze, their eyes wide and expressions curiously blank. I stiffened in my seat, too, knowing that Alice and Liam were having a vision and Edward was watching with them. The rest of the vampires at large froze as well, while the ones who were outside hurried indoors.

The three of them spoke together, their voices dead and completely devoid of emotion:

"They're coming in a week...all of them...the entire Guard...the Elders, the wives...and the Protectors."

I flashed to Edward's side and clutched his hand in alarm, fear ripping through me. Jasper's head snapped up when he felt me and immediately sent waves of calm to me. I became numb, but there was still a dull feeling of fright somewhere. Edward shook his head and wrapped his arms around me protectively.

"We need to start preparing," Carlisle said to the silent room.

Everyone nodded and went off in scattered different directions, worrying aloud.

"Bella, love. Breathe," Edward said. I blinked and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I was just...caught by surprise. I wasn't expecting this to be so soon."

"Its alright, you'll be fine."

"Oh, Edward, how many times have I told you? I don't care about myself—"

"That's exactly what you're_ not _supposed to do. You should worry about your own well-being, about keeping yourself safe. For the love of God, start thinking about yourself, love. You think too much about others, and get yourself in trouble by not paying enough attention."

I smiled. "You're right. But I can't help it."

"Well, you can help by helping us pack the tents." Tanya had arrived at my side. "And Edward's right, Bella. Think about yourself!"

I chuckled, but let it go. She smiled and shook her head, sighing dramatically. I followed her up the stairs to where she and her sisters were packing up. We just needed some clothes. Other than that, all we needed was lighters, in case Ben and I were too busy to start a fire. The packing took, at the most, two and a half minutes. I glided down the stairs (literally) and ran into Edward's arms. But he wasn't in the living room like I'd expected.

"Where's Edward?" I asked Irina.

"Your cottage."

"Thanks." I smiled and darted out the door. I traced his scent over the lawns and through the forest. I frowned—why wasn't he in the main house? Everyone was there, what was he doing here?

The cottage door was slightly ajar, so I pushed it out the way. The living room was empty, so I moved for the bedroom. Before I could take another step, a familiar pair of hands wrapped around my waist.

"Edward!" I giggled.

But my laughter stopped when I saw his face.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I said, my voice high-pitched with anxiety. I automatically did a mental sweep of the surrounding area—no one unfamiliar.

"Bella...don't..." he moaned. His face, already torn with pain, screwed up with sheer agony. His eyes looked like hollow black-holes.

"Edward?"

His breath came in gasps now. "Bella...please..."

"What is it, Edward?!" I was shouting now, fear trembling through me.

He moaned again. I swallowed back a terrified scream and said, "Tell me!"

He took a deep shuddering breath, his body trembling. "Alice and Liam's abilities can combine. They found out last night. Together, they can see people they couldn't see before...people like you." He paused.

"Go on!" I said, impatiently.

He groaned loudly. I grabbed his arms and pulled him towards the couch, pushing until he sat. Then I placed myself on his lap. My touch seemed to ease away his fear, and he relaxed a little.

"What did they see?" I asked, knowing this what he was trying to tell me.

"They saw..." he choked on the rest of the sentence. "They saw...our fight."

"And?"

"Everyone came out fine. No one was harmed at all..."

"So what are you worried about?!"

"Everyone except..."

I nodded. I had expected this. Of course. "Everyone except me," I said calmly.

A low sob issued from his throat. "Don't..."

I smiled. "Edward, Its in my nature to protect others. I can't help it."

"You have to!" his expression became fierce. "You _have_ to! You can't...you won't...I won't let you..." he struggled to complete his sentence.

I didn't reply.

"I won't allow you to die, Bella! I won't! You're not joining this fight."

I grew very still at his words. There was no way I wasn't joining this fight. It began because of me, and I was going to make sure I saw the end of this massacre.

"I am," I stated. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to stay away."

"Bella..." his face was agonized again, his breath labored.

I suddenly knew there was no verbal way to properly explain who I felt. So I tugged off my shield and let him in my mind. He listened in silence, his expression a perfect poker face. As I neared the end of my explanation, his face was a hard mask of deeply-set pain. Agony.

_Please, Edward. Try and understand, _I urged.

"I can't..." he groaned.

"You saw how I die, right?" he flinched at my words. I ignored it. "If you know how it happens, then you can stop it, right?"

He didn't reply.

"You know you can do this," I insisted. "We both know it. Take care of me, while I take care of everyone else."

He was quiet for a long time, and I didn't interrupt his thoughts. He needed this, I knew. He looked down at our clasped hands, his brows furrowed, his eyes hooded. I was perfectly still, not even breathing.

"Please..." he whispered. "Please...I can't live without you...it was beyond painful last time, and that was when I knew you were alive. If you...you...please, Bella."

I smiled. "If death is what I have to embrace to keep you and my family safe, I'll do it more than gladly."

'NO!" he shouted. "No! Bella!...Look at it this way: if you...die, I'll follow you within hours. Imagine what losing both of us would do to the family. Do you want that to happen?"

I cringed away from the image that was painting itself in my mind. Esme? Oh, God...Heidi.

I swallowed. "I know..."

"Then please," he begged. "Please, please...please stay away from the fight."

"Edward, I can protect myself!" I said. "I know how to take care of myself! And besides, with Mary's shield around me, I doubt anything can touch me. Plus, I won't even have to move!"

He was silent again. I didn't move, letting him think.

"Okay, Bella," he finally gave up. "You are coming with us. But the moment I _feel _you're threatened, I'll take you away from there without a second's thought; you're not to protest or say anything, understand? I can't let you be in danger, Bella; it's too much for me to take. Promise me you'll bear with me. Promise me, Bella."

I looked deep into his depthless eyes. It seemed as if I could almost make out the brilliant glow of his soul deep within the realms of his eyes. They were a lovely shade of honey-gold now; there was a sparkle of fierce determination there now, and I knew no matter what I said wouldn't make his budge. I sighed, giving up. After all, how could I ever refuse what my soul-mate wanted? It seemed beyond impossible—it felt like a miracle that I managed to convince him to let me fight in the approaching battle.

"Alright, Edward. I promise."

Before I could take another breath, his lips were on mine, moving with a passion I'd never experienced before. I realized how completely terrified and concerned he was for my safety. It spoke clearly in the way his arms automatically wound around me protectively, separating me from the world and embedding me to him; the way his hands grasped my hair and secured my face to his; the way he spoke my name in between every second.

"Promise you will try your best to stay out of trouble?" he asked, not breaking the kiss.

"Promise," I vowed breathlessly.

"Promise that you will keep out of the most deadly warriors' way. Promise you will do everything to keep yourself safe. Promise you will not take any unnecessary risks that might pose harm to you. Promise you will not make any sacrifices to keep the rest of us safe."

"Promise."

A long minute passed in complete silence, save the whisper of our lips moving together.

"Thank you. I love you, Bella."

"Love you too," I laughed.

* * *

We were waiting in the baseball field. The same field where I was reunited with my sister. The same field where I realized that Edward meant more than the world to me. The same field where I understood that I had found a whole new life; a whole new family. The same field where I might just lose everything I had strived so hard to build for the past year.

Our formation was perfect. The toughest warriors were lined out front (Emmett, naturally, joining the front line); the mental attackers were standing behind them; the least violent arranged at the very back. The defenders were arranged in a perfect square around the formation. If the attack started, the front of the square would break up for the attackers to run and charge at the opposition. The non-gifted immortals were scattered around the outside of the square.

Heidi was in the square, something I was highly uncomfortable with. Jasper and Carlisle were in the second line, ready to defend and die. Alice and Rosalie were at the back line; Esme was with Garrett and Ceyrus in the immortals who were scattered around us. I wanted Esme at the back (she was most non-violent of us all) but she insisted. The Romanians were lone and aloof, standing perfectly still at the head of the formation, isolated from all of us. They wanted to be the first to attack the Volturi, so they were standing around four yards from the main group.

Edward and I were standing a few yards from the Romanians. Being the strongest mental fighter of all the group, I had to be alone from the others because when I fought, it would mostly be mental. Physical fights would not require any movement from my part; I'd set them on fire without shifting an inch. Edward, refusing to let me be alone and 'unprotected', was standing right beside me.

Edward was holding my hand tightly, refusing to let go of me. I smiled in relief at him; if I were disconnected from his in any way now (physical or otherwise) I would be too terrified for his safety to fight properly. He felt the same, too, which was why he refused to me go. I didn't resent his need one ounce. I also had my shield wrapped snugly around each of our assembly. Benjamin and I also made sure to have a toughened layer of air around everyone; it wouldn't live out more than a dozen bites, but that was enough time for a vampire to recover and attack.

Zafrina, Kate, Benjamin, Jasper and a handful of others were the main fighters. I was one of them too; the 'cornerstone' as most of the group had named me. I hated the fact that Edward hated the amount of threat my position posed to me, but I was also glad that I had the ability to protect everyone that I cared about.

I was being careful not to use my mind-reading gift; I would have to loosen my tightened shield.

Everyone was looking at Alice, Edward and Liam for when they would come. Liam and Alice's combined abilities made the holes in the visions caused by me to be overcome, so they could predict accurately when the Volturi would arrive. Edward, also, would hear them the moment they came within a five-mile radius of him. They were like our alarm clocks.

I kept my eyes focused on the grass in front of my feet, and all my attention focused on my one hand that Edward was holding. If this was going to be my last day on Earth, I was going to make sure my last thoughts before death would be about Edward.

Since I was concentrating so hard on Edward, I noticed immediately when he stiffened at the same time as Alice and Liam.

They whispered in unison. "They're here."

As if on cue, a thunderous bolt of lightening cracked across the pale cloudy sky, making a huge crash like giant mountains colliding. I felt my muscles contracting in anticipation:

_My enemies were here. _

**A/N: Next up—the FIGHT!!**

**Hope you all are enjoying reading my first fanfic! Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review! Love you all!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark. **


	18. Clouds of War

**Oh, I've been waiting for this scene to happen ever since I began this story! I hope I made it good, cause I'm not that fabulous at describing fights and stuff like that, so please bear with me if it isn't what you expect. Happy reading!**

**PS :– I took the entrance of the Volturi from _Breaking Dawn. _(Chapter: Bloodlust)No copyright violation was intended, of course. I was just trying to enhance my story. =)**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND ARE OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 18: Clouds of War

BPOV

They came with pageantry, with a kind of beauty.

They came in a rigid, formal formation. They moved together but it was not a march; they flowed in perfect synchronicity from the trees—a dark unbroken shape that seemed to hover a few inches above the white snow, so smooth was the advance.

The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was deepest black. Every face was cowled, shadowed.

The faint brushing sound of their feel was so regular it was like music, a complicated beat that never faltered.

At some sign I didn't see—or perhaps there was no sign, just millennia of practice—the configuration folded outward. The motion was too stiff, too square to resemble the opening of a flower, though the color suggested that it was the opening of a fan, graceful but very angular. The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled.

Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety.

It was the pace of the invincible.

We were careful to keep our faces blank, making sure no hint of emotion showed on our visage, making ourselves seem numb and dull. Thus far, the Volturi were also too disciplined to show any emotion at all. They, too, showed no surprise or dismay at our assembly of vampires that waited for them here.

I couldn't help counting. There were twenty-five of them. Just three more than us. No problem. With Ben and my combined abilities, annihilating the spares would be a piece of cake.

Just a jolt, I saw the two females at the very back of the Volturi formation: Athendora and Sulpicia; the wives. They did come. They left their precious tower and came in to join in the fight. Two bulky Guards I recognized as Jeremiah and Solanio were standing next to them. Okay, so they weren't going to fight—they were here to watch their mates and their Guard be destroyed. How selfish.

"The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming," Garrett muttered mysteriously to himself and then chuckled once more. He slid one step closer to Kate and wrapped his arm protectively around her waist.

"They did come," Vladimir whispered to Stefan.

"The wives," Stefan hissed back. "The entire guard! All of them together. Its well we didn't try Volterra."

Unexpectedly, completely out of the blue, despair weighted the air around me, pushing me down with more pressure than before. Abruptly, I was furious. Beyond furious, I was murderously enraged. My hopeless despair vanished entirely. A faint reddish glow highlighted the dark figures in front of me, and all I wanted to in that moment was the chance to sink my teeth into them, to rip their limbs from their bodies and pile them for burning. I was so maddened, I could have danced around the pyre while they burned. I would have laughed while their ashes smoldered. My lips curled back automatically, and low fierce snarl tore up my throat from the pit of my stomach. I realized the corners of my mouth were turned up in a wild snarl.

"Easy, Bella," Zafrina warned. "Carefully."

Behind me, Maggie and Rosalie echoed my growl. Edward squeezed the hand he still held, cautioning me.

The shadowed Volturi faces were still expressionless for the most part, only two sets of eyes betrayed any emotion at all. In the very center, touching hands, Aro and Caius had paused to evaluate and the entire Guard had paused with them, waiting for the order to kill. The two didn't look at each other, but it was obvious they were communicating. Marcus, though touching Aro's other hand, was not part of the conversation. His expression was not as mindless as the guards', but it was nearly as blank. Like the other times I'd seen him, he appeared to be utterly bored.

I recognized Renata behind Aro. For once she wasn't looking at her master; her eyes were fixed on me, filled with anxiety and worry. I smiled quickly at her. Her eyes seemed to be trying to say something. I looked up at Edward, he'd noticed her frantic look as well.

"She wants to talk to you," he whispered almost silently to me.

"Is it safe to release my shield?" I asked.

He was quiet for a few seconds, his eyes trained on Jane and Alec. Then: "Yes, but be quick."

"Of course." I nodded once and threw my mind across the hundred yards between _us _and _them. _I carefully avoided contact with the other Volturi and latched myself to Renata's mind.

_Bella! _She said hurriedly. _I can't believe this! Tell me I'm dreaming!_

I frowned, confused.

_Bella, _she said again. _Is that..can it be...do you have a vampire named Ceyrus with you? Please tell me you don't._

I nodded and mouthed _yes _to her.

Joy suddenly flooded her mind, making it curiously blank with shock, surprise and an almost staggering amount of relief. Beside me, Edward was smiling faintly too.

_Bella, that's my Ceyrus! _Renata said when she recovered about a second later. _My Ceyrus, my mate I told you about. Oh God, Aro lied to me—he told me Ceyrus killed himself! _

"Then come and join us," I said loudly.

Aro raised an eyebrow, confused. I grinned.

"Aro," I said. "It seems your lie has been revealed. Ceyrus is alive...and here with us today."

A low moan behind me distracted me. I whipped around to find Ceyrus' eyes fixed on Renata, his arm outstretched toward her, a look of incredible love and tenderness etched on his face. Renata's eyes were focused only on him too. I quickly retreated from her mind, knowing she wanted privacy with her thoughts right now.

"Renata..." Ceyrus murmured.

Ren hesitated for a moment. Then, without a second more, she broke through the Volturi formation without hesitation and ran full speed toward us. I smiled, pleased. My friend had finally gotten her happy ending. She ran right into Ceyrus' waiting arms, and he folded her in his body. They remained in that loving position for a few seconds, while all eyes except Edward's and mine watched incredulously.

"Renata, darling," Aro crooned. "Aren't you coming back to us?"

She pulled away from Ceyrus, her face furious beyond words. "I would kill myself before I took another step in your direction, Aro Volturi. I've followed you around like a sick slave for four hundred years while you told me Ceyrus was dead! Now..." she walked over beside me and took my hand, with Ceyrus at her side. "Now I fight against you."

Aro frowned. "Everyone who stands in our way will be annihilated."

"I welcome death rather than separation from Ceyrus again," she retorted harshly.

"That's what you do, isn't Aro?" I shrieked loudly before he could reply. "You tear apart families, mates and separate loving couples. That's your hobby, isn't it?"

"You came to us of your own will," he taunted. "I never forced you."

"Oh, of course not," I said sarcastically. "Of course not. Did you hear that, my friends? Aro Volturi is _honest!"_

Our group burst into laughter. I smiled viciously at Aro while Edward bared his razor-sharp teeth at him.

"Looks like your own subjects have turned against you, Aro," I said. "Say, I wonder how many of your own Guard you put under Chelsea's spell?"

"Yeah, Bella," Heidi shouted. "Throw your shield over them. Her evil influence will vanish, and they'll turn against their own masters."

Aro and Caius growled menacingly.

"Ooo, scary," Emmett grinned mischievously, while I carefully seeped my shield across the wide gap between the two armies and slowly covered the entire Guard. But that wasn't required—as soon as Chelsea was covered, almost fifteen members of the Volturi gasped, blinking rapidly.

"What—?"

"I don't—!"

"How did I get—?"

"The Volturi—?"

"Is this really—?"

"Friends," Carlisle addressed the confused vampires. "You were influenced by the Volturi's empath Chelsea and literally tricked into working for them. Many of you have been enslaved thus for many centuries."

Outrageous cries and protests rang through the air. Carlisle gave them a minute before continuing: "Well, we all know how Chelsea works, don't we?"

"Yes, and now we've assembled to dust off the Volturi altogether," Heidi chimed. "Join our side and live, or stay with _them _and perish."

Silence.

"We all understand you'd like to talk amongst yourselves now," Aro said, putting on a fake cheery voice. "We'll give you ten minutes. Please confer and let us know your decision!"

They glared at Aro for a full minute before detaching from the Volturi formation and arranging in a circle in the dead center between us and the Volturi. They huddled together and began discussing in whispers too low for either party to hear. I began to fidget uncomfortably.

"Alice?" I hissed.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Can you see their decision?"

"Wait a moment." She closed her eyes, her face going blank abruptly. Her figure became incredibly still, and she stopped breathing. "Oh...okay. Bells? Three are joining the Volturi. Nine are leaving the fight altogether, and the rest are joining us."

I did the mental math: three were joining us. With our previous twenty-two, we would have twenty-five vampires, and the Volturi would plunge down to a depressing sixteen fighters. Wow, this was going way better than I had ever imagined!

Edward and I broke out into victorious smiles when we both saw that we held the upper hand. But we were careful to make sure none of Alice's words reached the Volturi. _Their _eyes were still locked on the huddled group of vampires whose outcome we already knew. I quickly composed my face with a blank look and watched them uninterestedly.

"We have reached a decision," one of them, a burly vampire with shocking red hair announced after a few minutes.

"And what may that be, my dear?" Aro asked sweetly. I felt a sudden urge to throw up. Strange.

The group of fifteen broke apart into three groups. Two of them were collections of threes, the other was nine.

"We're joining the freedom fighters," one of the groups announced. Caius roared in rage and was about to pounce on them. Aro placed a cautioning hand on his shoulder and calmed him. Still, Caius' eyes were burning bright with fury.

Aro, on the other hand, decided to play the good guy. "If that is what you wish. I will, of course, not stop you." Caius threw a death glare at him, which he ignored.

"Well, we think these people are sadly misinformed," the other group of threes said. "The Volturi rule with grace and goodness, not for power and greed."

"Thank you, dearest Lyra!" Aro crooned. "Thank you very much. I take it you're rejoining us?"

"Of course, Aro," Lyra chirped.

"And you?" Caius spat at the remaining group. "I suppose you're joining us?"

"No," one of them retorted disgustedly. "We are neutral. We're leaving."

"You are permitted," Aro sang happily, seeming oblivious to his decreased numbers.

The group left swiftly and without a second backward glance. I knew exactly how they felt—terrified and glad to be out of what was bound to be the biggest battle of the millennium.

The clearing was perfectly still and silent, save for the soft _thud _as each of the snowflakes fell softly against the already covered ground. Both of the parties glared at each other, waiting for another to make the first move which would eventually begin the battle. Nobody moved or even breathed, staring each other down. The Volturi's calm composed faces infuriated me (evil demons!) but I kept my composure.

Benjamin shifted slightly to catch my attention. I raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Watch," he whispered almost silently to me.

Edward fought a smile as he heard what Ben was going to do. Alice noticed our silent conversation and peered into the future; the outcome brought a triumphant smile on Edward's face, but, to my shock, the hand which held mine tightened further. I didn't resent the touch—I treasured it.

I stared at the Volturi, knowing Ben was up to something. And I was right.

With an earsplitting crash that was surely heard for miles around, a huge crack opened into the earth six feet from the Volturi. Their composure slipped and all stared wide-eyed at the moving ground. A deep, wide fissure opened in a long jagged line across the middle of the clearing. The drifts of snow plummeted into the crack while the Volturi watched with awestruck eyes.

The line continued to get wider, wider until it almost reached the feet of the front line of the Volturi's formation (they didn't move). But then it stopped. I frowned; what was Ben trying to _do? _I was just about to ask him when, with a crash like thunder hitting the earth with the force of an atomic bomb, the gap became so large and wide that it completely engulfed the Volturi. All the members of the group plunged down the entire four miles deep into the Earth's surface. Our group roared with laughter.

"Well done, Benjamin!" Heidi and Alice cheered at the same time. I giggled in delight.

Suddenly, I had an idea. "Ben?"

"Yes, Bella?" he grinned proudly at me.

"I watched your little show. Now, watch mine." I grinned happily up at the hulking vampire, who looked back at me with confusion on his face.

I 'felt' the Volturi at the bottom of the pit. Some were trying to climb the sides to get out (the walls were too slippery), some were trying to jump for it (too high) and some were punching and kicking at the walls, trying, in a panic, to get free. The Elders were simply standing in the middle of the chaos, dumbstruck.

I tugged and pulled at the air surrounding each of the immortals, until I levitated them into a tight circle and slowly (almost dramatically) pulled them out of the pit. My friends and family were now circled around the opening of the hole and watched with amusement at the Volturi's useless cries and protects. Aro glared at me, his eyes burning with fury.

Edward's hand slipped around my waist, and he pulled me closer to his body protectively.

I rolled my eyes at Aro. Concentrating harder than ever, I placed a wire-think band of toughened gas around each of their limbs. With a quiet _thud, _their arms and legs were snapped tightly into their bodies, so that all they could move was their head. Many of them began to squirm and wriggle, but it was completely pointless.

"Stand in a line," I told our assembly. "Make sure that each of you are four feet apart from each other."

They obeyed without a question. Edward and Heidi, to no one's surprise, simply refused to leave my side. I was glad for their companionship and didn't protest.

As soon as they were in a line, I placed each member of the Volturi in front of my friends. I settled them according to strength and size, so naturally, Emmett got Felix while Jasper got Demetri. I placed the three most important members of the Volturi (the Elders) in a huddle two hundred yards away from everyone; Edward, Heidi and I stood just four feet from Aro, Caius and Marcus, separated from the main group.

"Enjoy your fight!" I laughed, hinting that they could begin fighting.

"Awesome!" Emmett shouted excitedly.

Immediately, I loosened the bands captivating the enemies to let my friends have a bit of fun, but I was sure that they weren't completely free: they needed to get hurt but my loved ones didn't. Simultaneously, enraged growls and snarls erupted around the field as everyone began to attack at the same time. Loud metallic screeching soon filled the air, along with roars of pain and furious swearing. I watched with vindictive satisfaction.

But the end wasn't here yet, because the leaders of the Volturi were still alive.

I watched the battle with wide eyes, missing nothing.

Esme, despite her gentleness, was a very strategic fighter; she avoided her opponent's desperate grasping and clutching, evading his every move until she knocked him over, ending up with her teeth centimeters from his throat—he was destroyed within seconds.

Jasper, by far, was the most skilled fighter in the group. He was constantly on the move, his expression calm and composed. He moved so swiftly, all I could see of him was a dull blur, which only solidified into my brother when his opponent, Demetri, was in pieces.

Alice, on the other hand, was _toying _with Jane. She kept darting everywhere, until Jane became so furious, she lost her patience and began to attack mindlessly. That was her fatal (and last) mistake—Alice quickly overcame her and she was destroyed within seconds.

Carlisle had already finished his first fighter, and was helping Tia finished off. I regretted the fact that I'd missed who my father-in-law's opponent was, but was grateful that he was unharmed and untouched.

Emmett was having tremendous fun. His ripped limps off from Felix who roared deafeningly in pain, while Emmett used the same severed limp to prod and poke at him, enraging him until I thought Felix would lose his mind in rage. I giggled a little when I heard my favorite brother;s boisterous laughter—Heidi and Edward were grinning too.

Rosalie, to my shock, was a perfect fighter as well. Her tremendous beauty dazzled her opponent, Alec, for three seconds too long. His hesitation to destroy something so beautiful caused his destruction. Now, Rose was standing motionlessly watching Emmett while Alec's pieces wriggled at her feet.

I suddenly realized what was missing; we needed a fire.

"Ben!" I shouted.

"Yes, Bella?" Benjamin shouted back.

"Let's light up the pit. We can throw in the pieces there."

He ripped Chelsea's head off with his teeth. "Sure."

He finished her off and we walked together to the edge of the tethering hole in the middle of the field. I stared into its murky depths for a few seconds before conjuring up a huge ball of flaming gases while Benjamin settled for a perfect cube of roaring orange flames. Together, we threw our fires into the hole. For a long second, there was nothing. But moments later, with a loud _bang _that echoed across the clearing, the pit burst into fire, heat rolling off it in searing waves.

I threw up my hands to protect my face and staggered away quickly with Edward. The heat really was overwhelming.

By now, everyone was finished.

"Toss 'em in!" Heidi laughed delightedly. Everybody grinned and gathered up the twitching and wriggling pieces scattered everywhere. An evil-smelling, oily, thick purplish smoke quickly issued from the pit when they were thrown in. Everyone quickly backed away from the fissure.

I quickly ran my eyes over everyone to make sure they were okay. Vladimir was missing two fingers (now burning in the fire) and Amun had two new scars; Jasper was rubbing his forearm where Demetri had managed to bite him; Liam was poking his left knee to ease the sting of the venom; and Garrett was grumbling silently for losing four of his right toes.

At least there was nothing major—the others were completely untouched. All of them were grinning widely, too. It was comical to watch Emmett, especially.

But Heidi, Edward and I still had work to do.

"Edward..." I looked up at my love.

"You take out Marcus. Heidi, finish off Caius, please," he said, his voice menacing, his eyes glinting with rage. "Then, we destroy Aro together."

"With pleasure," I snarled, a deep growl issuing from within my chest.

This was a much anticipated moment, one I'd waited for a long, long time. Ever since they forced Heidi away. It was pay-back time. They were going to hurt every bit as much as Edward and I had when we were apart. They will know what true pain feels like; they will experience the searing agony of feeling their body burn. Their pain will be nothing compared to the torture Edward and I had endured, but making them feel even the slightest amount of agony will be a much anticipated gift.

The reason for countless months of torture stood before me: the time without Heidi. I will show them what it feels to lose someone you love with all your heart. I experienced three agonizing phases: losing Daddy, losing Heidi and leaving Edward. All of these pains and heartbreaks was their fault. Now, they will each watch their brothers die before their eyes. They will bear the searing agony of watching someone you love be destroyed in front of you.

They will get a little piece of the pain Jane forced on me for a full day. They will experience all of this. I will prolong everything, take things as slow as possible, so that Aro, especially, would see every details of his brothers' deaths. I knew the pain enough of watching Sulpicia die at Tia's hands was agony enough—he was already begging for death. But it will be long time before I give him that gift.

I was going to make each of them suffer what no one has ever suffered before.

My lips automatically curled back as I released Marcus and Caius, slipping into a low crouch in front of them. Without a second's hesitation, I lunged.

They were going to _pay. _

**A/N: Okay, people. The next part is going to be Third Person POV. This is necessary; all of these three (Edward, Heidi and Bella) has different takes on their attack on the Volturi Elders, and to make the story enhanced, each of their takes and opinions need to be expressed at the same time. I'll let you know when the Third POV ends. Happy reading!**

ThirdPerson POV

Edward sprang at Marcus at the same time as Bella. He was anxious for her safety, what if she got hurt _now?_, but knew she needed this. She had suffered a lot more than she ever expressed, and she needed to punish those who had inflicted so much pain on her. He was simply going to make sure Marcus never managed to touch her while she destroyed him.

His mind ached for the Elder's death too: these were the people who had caused his Bella so much torture! But she _needed _this. He would save his fury for Aro. Heidi, Bella and he were going to attack that pathetic excuse for a life together. Surely, that was going to bring about some satisfaction.

Marcus' mind was dead, blank as always. He didn't form sentences when he thought; he barely thought at all. Right now, it was all instinct. Survival instinct.

Bella lunged at him, straight for his throat. With a sharp ripping sound, it tore off. Not completely, halfway. His screams of agony brought her immense pleasure; being torn halfway caused more pain than ripping the body-part off entirely. What that it? Then she was going to pull off halfway each of his limbs. He deserved the pain.

This was so damn gratifying!

Heidi smiled in pleasure, almost euphoric. She bit down hard on Caius throat, while he roared in fury.

"You bitch!" he swore. "I'll—!"

She laughed madly, too hyper excited to form a coherent thought or sentence. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled, savoring the sight as each of his tendons and bones slowly broke, piercing the skin, pouring the venom out. She made it slow. Excruciatingly, satisfyingly slow...

Edward snatched Bella back as Marcus made a wild, enraged swipe at Bella. His nails came into contact with Bella's skin for less than one hundredth of second, before Edward grabbed his almost-disconnected arm and pulled it completely free from Marcus' body. The vampire howled in pain. Bella grinned in long-awaited satisfaction. He rightfully, lawfully deserved the pain.

All of the three were so engrossed in their revenge that they didn't hear the shouts and cheers of their friends and they slowly dismembered and tortured the two lesser Elders.

Aro, bound painfully just feet away from the fight, watched in endless horror and pain as his brothers were slowly tortured. He found himself praying for their (and his) quick death. As if losing Sulpicia hadn't been enough! Now, for the first time in over three millennia, he wished for death. His brothers were gone, his Guard was burnt, and his love, his life, his _soul _Sulpicia was destroyed. They had taken away everything he treasured in the world.

He had been at the peak of his power. Everything had been at his fingertips. Everything. Literally everything. Now all the gone. If he had lost his brothers, he could have painfully managed to go on. If he had lost his Guard, he could have somehow managed. But Sulpicia? His mate? No. All he wanted now was death: he could rejoin her there in the afterlife. He didn't care whether he went into heaven or hell or whatever, as long as he could be with her again after this life. Normally, a vampire would want revenge. But now he simply wanted death.

He watched through pained, agonized eyes as Isabella, Edward and Heidi finally completely dismembered his brothers. He longed for tears, but he couldn't, of course, cry. He didn't even have the strength to mourn—he just wanted to die now.

There was nothing left on this planet, in this life, for him now. Everything he had once treasured above all was gone. So what was the point of walking the Earth any longer?

_Let me die, now. Just...give me death...death is all I want, nothing more...please..._

Edward's head snapped up. Aro Volturi was begging for death? Incredible.

Bella smiled with satisfaction. The despair, the pain on Aro's face was something she had longed for decades. She savored the memory. It was immensely satisfying.

Heidi breathed a sigh of pleasure. Aro was begging for release from life. Well, it will be long time before he got what he wanted. She will kill him, of course, but slower, more painful than his brothers.

All three of their minds held the same thought: _Torture until he can be tortured no more. _

**A/N: The ThirdPerson POV ends here. **

**As well as this chapter. **

**Sorry to leave you at a cliffhanger, but I...*yawn*...really need to sleep. I've got school and classes tomorrow and a girl needs her sleep, you know. At least, the beauty sleep. Right? Anyways, thank you a million times for reading. I hope I managed to get the fight-description right. I think. Thanks a lot, I love you guys!**

**Please review if you enjoyed this chapter!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark. **


	19. Peace and Bliss

**Sorry for the late update, guys. But my vacation starts from today, so I'll be on off the PC from now on. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!**

**I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT; ALL KNOWN CHARACTERS WERE CREATED AND ARE OWNED BY STEPHENIE MEYER.**

Chapter 19: Peace and Bliss

EPOV

Fury boiled in me, reaching a peak I had never experienced before, when I turned to look at Aro. His expression, a devastated agony, had no effect on me. He could go to hell for all I cared. I relished in the pain blowing off his mind. His memories of his mate, Sulpicia, was crystal clear in his head, adorned with love and care.

Right.

As if a demon, a monster like him could ever understand love. The potency of love, the strength that emanated from the very word. He didn't deserve to walk this planet; he didn't deserve any pleasure or happiness. He deserved only a thousand eternities of torture for all the pain he had caused in his years. The four millennia of his rule, all he had done was create chaos and pain; spread fear and panic. That's all he had ever done—torture. Now, I finally had the chance to give back a little piece of all the damage he had done to the vampire world. All the mistakes he had made would be punished now.

Revenge was sweet indeed.

_Please...just kill me...I want nothing more..._he was pleading no one in particular.

My vision became tinted with red when I heard his mental voice. So he wanted death, did he? Well, death (or destruction, in our case) was a very special, precious gift. If he wanted death, he would have to earn the bliss of nothingness. He would be begging for it a long time before I would grant him that. He would have to earn it—suffer for it. Suffer a tiny piece of what I had suffered when he took Bella away from me. Live a small part of the agony she had gone through during that dark time of our lives.

Yes. Revenge was almost unbearably sweet.

I barely heard the muffled thoughts of my family behind me as Heidi, Bella and I slipped into a low, menacing crouch at the same time, posed to attack. The ruthless, pitiless expressions on our faces were identical.

_Torture until he can be tortured no more, _we all thought at the same time. A small part of my brain noted that I could still hear Bella, with her shield wrapped protectively around me, but the larger part of my mind was focused on the monster, the devil standing before us. The invisible cords binding Aro and suspending him midair disappeared without a sound and he dropped back to the ground, his thoughts wordless.

A terrible snarl ripped from Bella, screaming vengeance.

She looked at Heidi and me, cautioning us to stay in our places until she called us forward. I wanted to stop her going near Aro, but I knew she needed this more than anything. I would wait until she told us to start our assault, but keep a close eye on her the entire time. She might be powerful, but she was still part-human.

She sauntered forward to Aro, her expression one of mock sympathy. "So, tell me, Aro. How did it feel to watch your precious Guard die?"

Aro didn't reply. _Just kill me now...I want nothing more than to return to Sulpicia..._

"Answer me!" Bella thundered furiously. But then her tone softened. "It must have felt terrible, no? Watching your centuries of work get destroyed before your own eyes while you stood helpless with your brothers? My, my...it must have been horrible to hear their screams..."

"I will not fight you," Aro whispered brokenly. "I will not make a sound. Just kill me now...please."

Bella's eyebrows rose. "Really? You will not cry out in pain when we rip you from limb to limb? No make a single protest? Wow, that's hard to believe. Can you believe this, Heid? _Aro Volturi _will not talk at all!"

Heidi burst into enraged laughter. "What? That demon will not talk? That's impossible."

_Stop this jeering and kill me now! _Aro was desperate. My hunger, my longing for his destruction was reaching a sky-touching peak. Already, I was finding it hard to control myself and not pounce on him this instant. But Bella needed this.

"Yes, sis," Bella continued. "He will _not _make a sound, as he said."

"My intentions were always for the good..." Aro barely managed to make a sound.

Heidi's hands curled into claws. I ground my teeth, biting back a growl. Good, was it? Good for the vampires that couples be torn apart? That families be separated? That innocent humans suffer violent deaths? That harmless beings be damned into this endless existence? That true love be shattered, and lives be destroyed? All of that was for the good, huh? _For the God damned good! _

"Was it for the good that Renata and Ceyrus was separated for four hundred years, thinking the other dead?!" Bella's calm composure slipped, making her screeching louder than I had ever heard before. Somehow, the sound still managed to sound melodious. And Aro had wanted to destroy something so pure and lovely.

"They weren't suited—" Aro began helplessly.

"Look at them!" Bella screamed. "Just look, for once, at them! You could see the love and devotion practically pouring out of them! Have you ever seen either of them so content before?!"

He didn't reply, his mind still wordless.

"And you wanted to destroy something so perfect and beautiful as true love," Bella whispered, her voice hushed. But then, her voice hardened. "And for that...for all the damage you have done...now, Aro, you will _pay."_

As if on cue, all three of us sprang at him simultaneously.

His screams of pain as we each ripped through his body mercilessly was so satisfying. The way his face grimaced in agony, his eyes widened in horror...it was so pleasurable. Bella's face was blissful, delighted. Both she and her sister worked on him slowly. Each of them taking their time with this moment, one they both had been waiting for so long. Ever since the death of their father.

I was not so careful and slow in my own movement. My body was aching, raging for his pain. And I was not disappointed. His screams and cries rang through the clearing, bringing more desire for his destruction. The need for it was so powerful, it rang in my ears and was a flavor on my tongue. I sank my teeth into his metallic skin, relishing the feel of it. Revenge after so much waiting, so much time, so much pain and anticipation.

His mind, wordless for so long now, became incredibly incoherent as we attacked him. All I could get from him was just flashes of Sulpicia and his brothers' faces and, mostly, endlessly, pain and agony. I was infuriated that his feelings were not as powerful, all-consuming as the assault I had felt when he had forced Bella away from me. But it was quite close, and since I knew this was the limit, I didn't hope for more.

Bella was so _happy _with getting her vengeance after so much time, that, for a moment, I was distracted from her unbearable beauty. Even like this, tearing a being apart, she was glorious and shining like a goddess. And Aro had wanted to destroy this? My rage peaked again, abruptly overcome with desire for his pain again, although he was getting a lot of it.

We worked slowly, relishing every moment of it, enjoying it and storing the images and smells and sounds in our infallible memory forever...

The three of us ripped each inch of his body into unrecognizable pieces. Parts so small that even if they weren't burnt, Aro wouldn't be able to put himself back together. But I didn't want to take even that harmless bit of a chance. If he somehow managed to return to life, the chaos he would create would be a thousand times worse than the damage he had done before. And to ensure that that would never happen, we were going to burn him.

The three of us stood side by side, Heidi and I covering Bella's flanks. We watched the quivering pieces of Aro move mindlessly with a deep satisfaction and pleasure rushing through our insides. I gripped Bella's hand, chuckling. She was also grinning happily, a look of pure bliss etched on her heavenly face.

The wild anger that had captured her ever since the Volturi had arrived had appeared was now replaced with the gentleness and love that I enjoyed. I loved the fact that she could really take care of herself, but my protective instincts were still there, and all I could feel was her tiny hand in mine.

"Pit or a new fire?" Heidi asked nonchalantly, as if this happened every day. As if we destroyed historical leaders and huge covens of vampires on a day-to-day basis.

Bella laughed, his face glowing. "New fire."

With a small_ crack, _a huge sphere of flames burst into existence just feet from Aro's remains. Unlike Bella's usual displays, this one wasn't suspended in midair; it was on the ground, the grass already crumbling away.

"Come on!" Bella turned and waved at our waiting friends and family-members. They all darted forward, eager to have a hand in finally destroying Aro Volturi. Together, everyone picked up armfuls of the remains and threw them in the fire.

The flames, already too hot to be natural, became to burn with a new ferocity, as if it knew the noble task it was doing. Within seconds, the pieces were burnt into ash, the smoke rising denser and darker than any other.

I saw Benjamin's plan as he thought about it. With a quick wink at Bella and me, he caused his ability to raise the soot high above the air when the smoke subsided.

"Anyone has a bag?" he asked cheerfully.

Tia laughed. _Silly boy, _she thought. She giggled and tossed a small purple velvet bag to her mate which was attached to her belt for some reason. Ben caught it and carefully dropped each cinder of the ashes into the bag. He pulled the strings tightly to close it and tied it stoutly. Together, he and Bella placed layer after layer of gasses around the knot to make sure it could never be opened again.

"Stand back, people," Ben warned us. We immediately cleared a circle.

Ben, using his incredible gift of altering the elements with his mind, dug a hole at least fourteen miles into the Earth's surface.

"Drop it," he told Bella and me, holding the bag towards us. We both smiled and grabbed it. We walked at a slow, human pace toward the hole, enjoying the moment. With a soft smile and a relieved look in both our faces, Bella and I dropped the bag into the depths of the planet. The bottom was so far down we couldn't hear it land, but we _felt _it.

And that was enough.

"Is it really over, Edward?" Bella whispered, her face suddenly confused and disbelieving.

My smile was huge. "Yes, my love." I laughed.

Alice laughed with me. "Seriously, people. They're all gone. Everybody can relax now."

There was another beat of silence.

And then it hit.

Cheers erupted. Maggie pounded Siobhan on the back. Rosalie and Emmett kissed ardently ever before. Benjamin and Tia were locked in each other's arms, as were Carmen and Eleazar and Renata and Ceyrus. Carlisle pulled in Esme for a warm hug. Kachiri stood very close to Zafrina and Senna, their fingertips interlocked. Garrett picked Kate up off the ground and swung her around in a circle.

"We're together?" Bella asked, her smile radiant.

"Forever," I promised her.

We had forever, and we would all be together. Happiness expanded like an explosion around me—so extreme, so violent that I wasn't sure I would survive it.

"Forever," Bella echoed softly. Her face showed the same pure joy I was feeling at that moment. I lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her with a passion that might possible set the forest on fire.

I wouldn't have noticed.

* * *

Each of our new friends had left just a handful of hours after the battle, each of them missing the comfort and warmth of their own homes. Carlisle, Esme, Bella and I graciously thanked them for all their assistance and help, telling them repeatedly to contact us immediately as there was anything we could ever do for them. All of them replied with joyful smiles and 'You're welcome'.

Ceyrus, Renata and a few others went with the Romanians to travel around the globe and inform the various vampires scattered across the world of the change of reign and the new (or original) rulers. Heidi wanted to join them, and though Bella didn't want her sister away from her, she agreed. But not before taking a promise from her that she'll return within a month.

We all said our goodbyes. Though each of us was very grateful to all of them for being so helpful, Bella and I simply wanted things back to the way they were before the Volturi had crashed into our life. After everyone was gone, Bella and I spent an entire expanse of three hours in silence, simply looking into each other's eyes and relishing the fact that everything was alright and perfect again.

Slowly, dawn broke over the horizon. Cloudy Forks was once again lighted into greenery. But the day was brighter than any before. Because the bane of life on Earth, the detestable Volturi, were now destroyed. I looked down; Bella was lying my arms, fast asleep. I admired her beauty for the millionth time...so beautiful...

Her pulse quickened and her breathing returned to fast again as she slowly woke. She began to stir slightly, and eventually opened her eyes, a smile breaking across her face.

"Good morning," she whispered.

I chuckled. "Good morning, love."

She sat up, blinking. "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a really long time."

"I know. It felt wonderful, watching you peaceful after all this time."

"I know."

We sat in silence, simply enjoying our company.

"Edward?" Bella said after a while.

"Yes?"

"Can we go and meet Charlie? You know, pretend we were just passing through and came to visit him or something? I really miss him, and it would be great to see him again after so long. I miss him."

I smiled gently. "Of course. I know you miss him; you talked in your sleep about him last night."

"Really?" she was intrigued.

I chuckled. "Really. When do you want to go?"

She thought for a moment. "Its Sunday. He usually takes off to the lake for fishing at the crack of dawn on Sundays. Maybe we can surprise him at the pond."

I grinned. "Great idea. Change. I'll wait for you here."

She pecked me lightly on the cheek before streaking out of the room. I stared after her for a few seconds before heading toward the garage where Alice had dumped all my clothes for some reason. I changed into a fresh set of clothes and returned to the living room. Bella bounced in only seconds later, and we darted together to our car.

I knew the lake well (Emmett's bets can sometimes get a little wet). We arrived in minutes, despite the distance, and parked the car. I could smell Charlie and hear his half-shielded mind a little further away; he was already here and getting a boat ready for fishing. Bella's excitement and anticipation was adorable as she heard him.

As soon as we were close enough for him to hear us easily, Bella and I called out at the same time, "Charlie!"

Surprise colored his mind as he heard us. His eyes grew wide. "B-Bells? Edward?"

Bella ran forward at a brisk human pace and hugged his tightly. Both their smiles were of pure delight.

"Dad, I missed you so much!" she said excitedly after they pulled away.

"Me too, Bells, me too," Charlie replied happily. "Its been too long! And look at you! You haven't changed a bit in the past year!"

"But you have," Bella teased him. "Hey! Look at this! Your first gray hair!"

Charlie looked proud. "Of course. I'm growing older you know."

They both burst into laughter, Charlie's arm around Bella's shoulder and her hand gripping his tightly. He only seemed to notice me now.

"Oh, hey, Edward! How are you?" he said when he finally saw me standing a few feet away, watching their reunion. It was so touching.

"I'm great, Charlie," I replied, smiling. "Bella and I were just passing through Seattle. She insisted we go and see you again. I couldn't resist."

"I'm glad you didn't," he chuckled. "Its so wonderful seeing the two of you again. Its been so long, and you two haven't called in forever."

Bella giggled. "We were busy. Hey, did you know, Edward got a job as Carlisle's assistant in the hospital?"

"Really? Well done, son! I'm proud of you." His smile was glowing.

"Thank you," I said. I could never stop smiling; Bella's happiness was contagious.

Charlie invited us to fish with him, but neither of us had poles or any gear, so we refused. The father-daughter union was so perfect and wonderful, I couldn't stop admiring. Charlie's mind was almost overwhelming with concern and love for his daughter, but though his words hardly expressed that, his eyes did, and Bella understood. It was so touching, I could only admire in awe as they talked and chatted as if they had never been apart in the first place. To my surprise, I was included in their conversation as well—Charlie was a very easy person to like.

"Do you really have to go again?" Charlie asked we said our goodbyes.

"Sorry, Charlie," Bella said, smiling. "We have to. Edward's got work to do back home, and Carlisle was thinking about moving to Asia..."

"Asia! That's so far away!"

"Yes, India certainly is."

"Oh, Bella, I'm going to miss you so much!" Charlie's mind was now almost painful to read.

"Me too, Dad. But I promise to call you every once in a while. But Edward and I don't want to move so far away. I think we'll be settling in Vancouver."

"Really?"

"So, we'll be far, but we can keep coming for the major holidays and stuff. You'll be seeing a lot more of us than you like."

Charlie's eye-crinkling grin lit up his face. "Thank you, Bells. Love you!"

Bella waved as we walked away at a human pace from the lake. "Love you too! Bye dad!"

She let out a low sob as we got in the car. I was driving, but I forgot about that and grabbed her shoulders as a single tear leaked away from her eyes.

"I'll...just..." she cried.

"Its okay, Bella, its okay," I murmured, stroking her hair lightly.

She cried for a few minutes. I held her close, knowing that she needed to let it out. I knew this was going to happen. Neither of us could ever visit Charlie again; he would, of course, notice that none of us were aging and he would undoubtedly ask a lot of questions we could never answer. But eventually, she stopped her tears and managed to smile sadly at me.

"Better?" I whispered.

"Yes, thank you." Her tone was grateful.

I sighed in relief; it had been painful watching her cry. "You're welcome. But we've got work to do."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Most probably, Heidi's already called us for updates. I hope the others will choose a good group of rulers this time. The Volturi was the biggest mistake of the immortal population."

"Indeed," I agreed. "I know the Romanians were good enough in their time, but I'm not sure how much has changed in the last millennium in their idea of a good reign. I don't think anyone can handle another fight against the rulers of the vampires. We still have to stay away from the humans, don't we?"

"Of course. Edward, why do you hide from the humans? You're a thousand times stronger, better protected and they can't damage you at all. Why, then, do you vampires stay in the dark? Doesn't it make sense to just expose yourself?"

I smiled. In my newborn years, I had asked Carlisle the same thing. "Because if we let out that vampires do exist in the world, a lot of us would be free to go on hunts without restraint. Newborns would hunt freely, wars would erupt between our races and chaos would arise. The humans are better protected from us by not knowing. Ignorance is pure bliss to them. If we are careful when we drink from them, we'll be wary enough not to go overboard and drain entire cities."

She frowned. "Makes sense. But if the humans managed to protect themselves?"

"They're still a weak, feeble race, love. They're still not advanced enough to pose much of a threat to us. They won't be able to protect themselves from us for at least a few more thousand years. But, let's say they did somehow manage to be safe—most of the vampires live off their blood. How are _they _supposed to live?"

"With animals," her tone added the 'of course'.

I laughed. "Don't you think we have enough numbers to completely wipe out the animal kingdom in a year? What then?"

She gave up with a _hrumph! _

I chuckled. "But look at it this way: we won't have to worry about this for at least a few thousand years. We can use that time for so much fun."

A smile lit up her face, and her eyes sparkled. "Emmett's new bets!" she squealed.

"And don't forget the wrestling matches," I put in.

She laughed.

BPOV

It felt so great to be able to laugh and joke again. Charlie's sad face was still in my mind, but I decided to focus on the happiness and peace now. What was the point of dwelling in the darkness when you have brilliant light all around you? And, in my case, my light happened to be Edward. We talked about anything and everything as we drove back to the house. We laughed and joked, talking about the future and the family. It felt great to be tension-free. My life had changed so much in the past six months.

Ever since that day the Volturi came to Rochester to take me (and I foolishly left) everything had turned upside down. There was constant worry, never-ending fear and a sense of foreboding everywhere. From what Jasper had told me, even the humans had been able to feel the stress, though it didn't concern them in any way. But now all was perfect again. My friends were safe and happy, my family was fine and Edward and I were together.

What more could I want?

"No, I don't want a shopping trip!" I protested shrilly.

Alice's tinkling laugh filled the room. "Come on! Everyone's going! Carlisle as well!"

I stopped. That was unexpected. "Why does everyone feel this urge to go shopping today?" I demanded from the room at large. Everyone was there: Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Carlisle and Esme. Apparently, they were _all _going shopping.

"You know Alice manipulates us," Jasper grinned. "She thinks victory over the Volturi needs to be celebrated with a nice long shopping trip. There's no resisting her puppy-dog eyes, you know."

I groaned. "Oh, fine..."

The vampires laughed, Edward's laugh ringing out clearer than the others'.

We drove to Port Angeles, then Seattle, then halfway to Vancouver before I fell asleep from tire. It had been a really long day, and I was starting to doubt how much space I had left in my closet in the cottage back in Forks. Edward insisted that we stop now (it was past midnight by then) and head home. Alice was, unsurprisingly, resistant but agreed.

* * *

The next day, I woke up bright and fresh, though the piles of shopping bag on the coffee table in the living room dampened my mood slightly. But the sight of cookies and a delicious breakfast on the table made me pounce on them. Esme and Rose laughed.

"You're fifty years old," Rose giggled. "But you act like you're seven sometimes."

"Well, in case you didn't know, I stopped aging when I turned seven," I said through mouthfuls of food. "That's when I matured."

"That explains why you look extraordinarily like a baby when you protest," Emmett boomed, barging into the room.

I growled.

"Ooo, scary," he laughed. "Say, Bells, Edward and I are going hunting tonight. Care to join us?"

"Sure," I said. "What's for dinner, elk?"

Esme laughed. "Kids..."

"Actually, its bear," Edward said, entering the room. "Grizzly, to be precise."

I smiled. "Good. I need some big game after all the tension and worrying."

"Too right," Jasper chimed in. "You all were enough to drive me out of the house."

"As if I'd let you," Alice said, smiling brightly.

Edward laughed again. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Can you come outside for a minute? I've got something to tell you." The look in his eyes was eager. I nodded, confused. What would he want to tell me?

"Bella, I have something to show you," he said. His face was calm, serene, but I could detect the faint hint of excitement and anticipation under his composure. I frowned.

"What are you hiding from me?" I demanded.

"Nothing, love." His voice was too honest.

"Really?"

"Scout's honor."

I laughed loudly. He was a hundred years old, but he was really just seventeen. He chuckled as well, knowing I was laughing at his childishness.

"Oh, fine," he confessed. "You caught me. I was going to give you a surprise. Please don't ruin it."

I smiled. "Fine."

He covered my eyes ever so gently and slowly led me away from the house. I couldn't understand where we were going. From the sounds and smells, it seemed we took an unfamiliar trail into the forest. Soon I could the faint movements of the animals and birds, but I was still confused. Then, without warning, I was on Edward's back, eyes still closed, and he was running full tilt.

"Whoa!" I gasped, but managed to keep my eyes shut. "Edward, where are we going?"

He simply laughed in response. "Keep your eyes shut!"

"Oh, fine," I huffed.

I settled down on his back, ready to enjoy the ride. I slowly relaxed. Being around Edward was second nature to me. It felt so easy and _right. _Natural. Simple as breathing.

After a few silent minutes, he slowed to a walk. "You can get down now if you want."

I slipped off his back, and started at the scene before me. We were perched on the tree in Charlie's backyard, positioned precisely so that the kitchen window was directly in front of me, the thick leaves hiding me from the kitchen while I could see the room clearly. I smiled when I saw Charlie. He looked a little down, but there was a certain aura of happiness about him. He looked healthier and better. I frowned when I saw he was eating; the food looked great, but Charlie didn't know the first thing about cooking. Where did he get that steak?

"Charlie, are you done?" The soft female voice startled me. I stifled a gasp and searched frantically.

It was Sue Clearwater, a wife of one of Charlie's friends. Harry Clearwater had died a few years ago. I gasped again, realizing what was going on.

"Sue was getting lonely at home," Edward explained, whispering. "And when she heard about your wedding, she dropped in to visit Charlie. They've bonded from their losses, Charlie with Renee and Sue with her husband, Harry. They're in love, though they haven't told each other yet. Charlie's crazy about her, and all she thinks about is him." His smile was admiring.

"When did you learn this?"

"Alice saw this a few months back, when you returned."

"Why didn't you tell me?" It was so unfair!

"I thought it might be a pleasant surprise for you. I know you worry about Charlie a lot, especially about his food. Now you know he's alright and happy. And in love."

I smiled peacefully. "That's so great, knowing he's safe..."

"And happy," he added.

"And happy."

Now I won't have to worry about my human family. Renee was euphoric and excited with Phil, her new husband, and Charlie was safe and in love with a wonderful, sweet woman. They were both fine. All that was left was Angela, my human best friend, and Ben.

"Ang and Ben?" I asked Edward.

He chuckled softly. "Alice knew you'd ask that. She looked ahead for you. Ben plans on asking Angela to marry him by the end of this month. We're going to be invited to their wedding in six months."

"But will they be happy together?"

"They're almost as much in love as we are, love."

"That's great to know..." I lost myself in his glorious eyes. All I wanted to do was stare deep into them, looking into his shining soul that I could almost see in their depths...

And the best part was, I had the rest of forever to explore his soul.

**A/N: *sigh* _Living like a Star _is almost done. Just the last chapter (epilogue) left. I hope you all enjyoed this chapter! Thanks, and don't forget to review!!**

**XOXO**

**Secrets of the Dark. **


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